Journey to the Answer
by Wiitenmon64
Summary: Bonds are forged. A relationship is reborn. And the ultimate sacrifice is made. Relive the journey to its fated answer. A Persona 3 novelization.
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: Persona 3 and all related material are properties of Atlus and Index Corporation. I do not in any way own the characters or story.

Author's Note: This is a little experiment I've decided to try after beating the game. Expect new chapters every week or so. Hope you enjoy it and as always, read, comment and review!

* * *

The voice of the train's PA system was drowned out by the continuous clashing of drums that resonated in his headphones. Re-positioning his shoulder bag, he disembarked the train and made his way to the station's upper floor. The glow of a very pale moon greeted him, its rays cascading through the glass ceiling as he walked through the station. Even though the hour was late, there were still many locals hanging around. A couple of them stared at him as he passed by, probably at his unnatural cobalt blue hair and cool grey eyes, but he paid them no heed and focused on the beats that continued to rage in his ears.

Then the beats stopped.

And he stopped in his tracks as there was a flicker, and then a flash, like that of a faulty light globe, that plunged the entire station into darkness. The moon's pure white glow shifted to an eerie shade of dark green. He waited for his eyes to adjust before moving again, confused as to how a blackout could affect his MP3 player and annoyed that he had nothing to listen to. He silently cursed those new batteries (who could trust those damn bunnies?) and made his way to the station's exit.

The streets of Iwatodai was much more quiet than he had expected. He reached into his blazer pocket and unfolded a document, inhaling the cold stagnant air that almost made him gag. He could see wisps of his breath as he followed the path he had scribbled onto the document's tiny map depicting Iwatodai, and tried not to notice the upright black coffins that reflected the moon's sickly glow, and the random puddles of blood that replaced what should have been puddles of water.

He stopped again as a blue butterfly fluttered in front of him, the slivers of evanescent lights on its wings shimmering in the dark. The butterfly twirled and circled before heading off down the street. He glanced at his map and realized that it was the same street he needed to pass through. He frowned at the coincidence, then shrugged. The night was already so strange. A little coincidence could not make the situation any stranger.

Upon reaching where he had marked his destination, he folded the form and placed it back into his blazer pocket, shooting a glance at the building that towered in front of him. He found it odd how such a building could be a student's dormitory and seeing it in person only reconfirmed the fact that it was property of the Kirijo Group. He ascended the few steps leading to the double doors and pushed the handle.

Compared to the dorm's exterior, the lobby was rather ordinary. An old antenna television faced the sofas arranged around an unremarkable coffee table a few meters in front of him, and behind that was an antique dining table. At the far end, he could make out a staircase that spiraled to the individual rooms above. Setting his shoulder bag down, he removed the clip-on headphones and let it hang around his neck.

"You're late," spoke a weird voice.

He froze.

That voice. It was familiar. But from where had he heard it? And when?

"I've been waiting a long time for you," the voice continued.

He looked to his left to see a pale young boy in black-and-white striped pajamas sitting atop the reception's chair, staring at him with large blue eyes. The young boy snapped his fingers and a red notebook, along with a quill, appeared on the desk.

"Now if you want to proceed, please sign your name there. It's a contract. Don't worry. All it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff," the boy said, gesturing at the notebook.

He felt a pulling sensation, drawing him towards the notebook. Although he did not know who this boy was nor his intentions, he couldn't help but feel that he had experienced this before. His questions regarding the contract were waved off and the boy repeated his instructions in the same weird voice that should have sent shivers down his spine.

Fed up with trying to pry out any more information, he picked up the quill, dipped it in the ink, and swiftly signed his name onto the notebook which had opened up on its own. The young boy then collected the notebook and closed it.

"No one can escape time," the boy said. "It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes."

The room's green glow faded to darkness and he watched as it engulfed the young boy.

"And so it begins," the boy said, before merging with the shadows.

He stood there, trying to process what just transpired. He had definitely seen that boy before. But any attempts at conjuring that particular memory of them meeting, or talking, sealed themselves away.

His concentration was broken as a strangled gasp shattered the silence and he froze again at the sound of a female voice.

"Who's there?" she called.

He slowly looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a slender young brunette eyeing him. His eyes moved towards her trembling arm, which had crept towards the handgun that was holstered and strapped to her right thigh.

_A handgun_ he thought. _What is a high school girl doing with a handgun?_

The intensity of her stare made him feel as if he had just murdered someone. He took a hesitant step forward and raised his hands to show he was not armed.

Her heavy breathing continued but finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. "D...Don't..."

He opened his mouth to speak but at that moment, she seized her gun and aimed.

Then, another voice pierced the silence.

"Takeba, wait!"

The brunette flinched and for a moment, he thought she had already pulled the trigger, and was waiting for the inevitable punch of the bullet.

It never came.

He opened his eyes to see the brunette holstering her gun and winced as the lights snapped back on. He sighed with relief, feeling his heart rate slow down to the norm. Once his vision adjusted to the brightness, he found himself looking into the curious eyes of the two ladies who stood before him.

The brunette was about a head shorter than he was, wearing a school uniform of a white blouse underneath a pink cardigan, a black miniskirt and knee high stockings. She was cute and looked to be the type of students that girls wanted to be and boys wanted to be with.

But it was the other girl that attracted his attention. There was something about her, something he couldn't quite place, that made her distinguishable from every other girl he had seen. Maybe it was her smooth, pale complexion that suited her uniform of a white blouse and a black loose skirt. Or her long dark red hair that complimented the red ribbon, tied in a bow, on her collar. Or those heeled leather boots that made her lissome figure as tall as he was. He held her gaze and found himself mesmerized by her eyes. Though ruby red, they shone with a level of serenity uncommon for a person her age.

"I apologize for that," the redhead said. "We didn't think you'd arrive at this time of hour." She gestured to the brunette. "Takeba here just moved in not too long ago so she hasn't fully acclimatized yet. With the way things have been recently, dorm security is taken very seriously."

"I see," he replied. He swallowed hard, still shaken he was held at gunpoint. "It is really so serious that firearms have to be placed in the hands of students?"

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. But this isn't the time or place to discuss such things. Why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable?" She then shot a look at the brunette.

He could have sworn the brunette muttered something under her breath but ignored it as she hesitantly approached him.

"Welcome to the Iwatodai Dormitory," she said, bowing a little. "You must be Arisato Minato."

He nodded, bowing in return. "And you two are?"

"Kirijo Mitsuru," the redhead said. Indicating at the brunette, Mitsuru continued, "And this is Takeba Yukari. She'll be a junior this spring just like you."

"It's a pleasure," Minato said. _Kirijo? That name rings a bell._ _I wonder..._ "By the way, does anyone under our age live here?"

Mitsuru and Yukari exchanged glances.

"No one under the age of sixteen lives here, Mitsuru replied. "And none of the residents have siblings. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just curious is all," Minato said, though his mind screamed otherwise.

_Where had that boy gone off to? _

"Well, if you don't have any more questions, please follow me. I'll show you to your room and briefly cover some details you need to know," Mitsuru said, turning on her heel.

Bidding goodnight to Yukari, he followed Mitsuru up the stairs.

Minato was no stranger to transfers. So many times he had been moved from one location to another that it almost became a routine for him. But if there was one that he would never forget, it would be tonight. The pools of blood, the green haze that was not pollution, and the upright coffins. Not to mention that butterfly and a student with a handgun. Something was not right. Iwatodai was not how he had remembered it to be. And the more he thought about it, the more his mind was flooded by a torrent of unanswered questions.


	2. Contact

Author's Note: Decided to upload this one a little earlier due to all the positive feedback. Also, just to clarify if you didn't catch it from the first Chapter, this is a Minato/Mitsuru fic.

* * *

To Minato's surprise, the details he needed to know turned out to be nothing more than the mundane matters of the dorm. Mitsuru had given him an informative lecture regarding those matters but he felt as though she was deliberately avoiding the issues he wanted answered. It couldn't be that she had no clue. Not after the way Yukari had acted. The brunette's overreaction told him she was preparing for something else to enter the dorm. And whatever it was, it had to be something that she was afraid of. Otherwise, why pull the gun on their new dorm mate when they expected him to arrive?

The questions in his mind continued to swirl even more when he opened the fridge to see it jam packed with cans of protein drinks and nothing else. Minato frowned at the contents before espying a silver haired teen walking towards him. He wore a slightly different version of the boys' uniform, with a red sweater vest that replaced the standard black blazer, on top of a white long sleeved shirt.

"So you're the new kid?" he said, reaching into the fridge. "I'm Sanada Akihiko. How ya doin'?

Akihiko seemed to be around the same age as Mitsuru (at least that's what Minato figured) and Minato introduced himself politely. He watched Akihiko guzzle down the protein drink and noticed his grey eyes never stopped to blink.

_He must be some kind of fighter_ Minato thought.

As he listened to Akihiko's briefing on topics that Mitsuru had not covered – such as the layout of Tatsumi Port Island and a couple of good restaurants in the area – Minato wondered if Akihiko was also avoiding the matter that had been on his mind since his arrival. He had to admit, Akihiko was doing a good job at diverting his attention to the housekeeping details for he only noticed Mitsuru entering the foyer with Yukari when he heard the sound of her heels clicking and clacking on the floor.

Mitsuru strode over to where he was. "Akihiko and Takeba will be accompanying you to school today. I've already spoken with the school administrators and everything should be taken care of. Just focus on getting used to your routine."

"Thanks Kirijo-senpai," Minato said with a slight bow. He thought the bow unnecessary but decided she deserved the respect. She had gone out of her way to make his transfer here as smooth as possible after all.

"Please, there's no need for such formality," Mitsuru replied with a chuckle. "We'll be dorm mates so just 'Mitsuru' is fine."

"Okay. Mitsuru-senpai then."

She nodded and he could feel her smile as he walked out the door with the others. It felt awkward to call someone he had known for less than a day in such a friendly manner but it did help clear some of the tension.

Gripping his shoulder bag, Minato followed Akihiko and Yukari through the bustling streets of Iwatodai and to the train station. As distant as Tatsumi Port Island was, the journey to school did not take long and they were soon at the front gate. He heard that this school was very prestigious and now that he was standing at its gates, the view of it he saw from the small windows of the train really did it no justice.

For Gekkoukan High School was massive.

The pathway leading to the entrance brimmed with a sense of welcome in the warmth of the spring sunlight. Birds sang happily in the two lines of blooming cherry blossom trees that ran all the way down the path's edge to the school. Some of the pink petals lazily tumbled down to the earth, a light breeze angling their trajectory.

Minato could feel them landing in his hair and he lightly shook his head to remove them. In doing so, he noticed several groups of students watching him like a lion watching its prey. When he met their gaze, they quickly turned their backs and began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Well this is it," Yukari said, catching his attention. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it."

Minato looked at the majestic entrance and took in its grandiose. Polished windows stood behind the three pillars that guarded the entrance, with the main building of the school seeming to stretch both ways for about a kilometre, the paint a pristine white.

_As expected by something commissioned by the Kirijo Group_ he thought.

He had expected that settling in would be slow but as soon as Akihiko and Yukari led him into the lobby, which would have held the same level of grandness if it weren't for the number of students in the area, more than half the students made sure to clear a path for them. Minato kept his eyes forward, avoiding all the curious eyes and the pointing fingers. He had assumed that his two dorm mates would be popular but not to this extent.

"Does _that_ happen often?" Minato asked once they were well out of earshot of any other students.

"No, not really," Yukari replied. She looked a little troubled. "But I suppose we are some kind of role models here. Though I'm not sure where everyone got that idea from."

She glanced at Akihiko who grunted in agreement.

"Well, I had better get going," Akihiko said. "There are some things I need to take care of. Takeba here will show you to your homeroom and help you get set up. You're both in the same class so just follow her lead." He turned to Yukari. "Make sure you do show him around. I don't think either of us wants to be lectured by Mitsuru on how we didn't follow her orders."

"Sure thing," Yukari said.

"Good. I'll see you guys back at the dorm, if not on break," Akihiko said before heading down the nearby corridor.

Once he was out of sight, Minato followed Yukari up the stairs and around the many hallways, processing the information regarding where which rooms were among other things. He was surprised that she was oblivious to the many eyes that were on them.

"...And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions?" Yukari asked as they reached their homeroom.

Minato shook his head.

"Great. I just need to check in at the archery club. I'll see you back here in about fifteen minutes," Yukari said, turning on her heel.

It would be the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

Not a minute before he could take a step into his homeroom, he felt someone clamp his right arm.

A female student.

_ Uh oh._

"Are you a friend of Akihiko-senpai?" she asked. Her eyes were already large but they had seemed to grow in size as she pulled him forward. They were not adorable either.

"Do you mind?" Minato asked as he brushed her off but it was to no avail. She continued to hold his arm and pressure him with that intense, fervent look on her face.

"You must be a friend of Akihiko-senpai," she continued in what Minato thought to be a rather deliberate loud voice. Apparently she had no notion that clinging onto him like this was a problem. "Only a friend of his could walk with him, or even talk with him."

"Look, I think you need to–" Minato started.

"Did I just hear that he's friends with Akihiko-senpai?" another nearby girl shrieked, rushing over.

The girl's shrill voice alerted every other girl in the vicinity and soon, Minato found himself with his back against a wall, surrounded by a number of them.

"What's he like off campus?"

"How long have you guys known each other?"

"Can you introduce me to him?"

The barrage of questions never ended and because he was the new kid and had the luck of the devil, he noticed a group of male students approaching him. Scanning their faces, they appeared to be the same group that had shot jealous glances at him as he followed Yukari around.

"Hey, you came here with Yukari-senpai didn't you?" one of the guys asked.

Minato bit his tongue and remained silent. He could feel his temper rising but knew nothing good would come out of throwing it at them.

"Hang on a second, Yukari-senpai now lives in the same dorm as Akihiko-senpai right?" another guy pointed out. "So if this guy came with them then... Whoa. This dude lives with Yukari-senpai. Hey man, tell us. What's it like?"

Minato glanced at the girls on his right, and then at the boys on his left. He was completely surrounded. There would be no way of escaping without having his reputation tarnished. But as the etiquette of giving a good first impression had just jumped out the window, he decided there was no other choice. He prepared himself to forcefully shove them out of the way, and almost did so if it weren't for the voice that arose from the homeroom's entrance.

"Look if he doesn't know, he doesn't know," the voice said.

Minato searched for the source of the voice and saw a student wearing a baseball cap and a purple shirt under his blazer. He strode over, breaking through the fortress of students and joined Minato's side.

"Now come on, give the newbie a break," he said.

The group surrounding them groaned and slowly broke up. Minato heard them muttering that they would ask him next time. He really hoped that there would not be a next time but knew it was akin to winning the lottery. There would definitely be a next time.

Once they had all left, Minato turned towards the unfamiliar face and eyed him.

"I don't suppose you would like to know about the daily life of Yukari and Akihiko now would you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Who me?" the student said. "Nah. Those idiots were just making a loud fuss so I came outside to shut them up. You must be the new transfer student. Name's Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya."

Minato breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who was not crazy.

"Likewise. Arisato Minato," he greeted, outstretching his hand. "And thanks."

"No problem man," Junpei said, shaking his hand. "I transferred here last year so I know how tough it is being the new kid."

"Are students here always like this?"

"If ya mean head over heels for Akihiko-senpai and Yuka-tan..."

Junpei trailed off as Yukari approached.

"What's this about being head over heels for me?" she asked with a stern look.

"No-Nothing," Junpei said sheepishly. "Just introducing myself to the new guy, that's all."

Yukari sighed. "Sure you were. I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think that you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But I was just being friendly."

Yukari turned to Minato, who nodded in agreement and hastily explained what had happened while she was gone.

"If you say so," Yukari said once Minato finished.

Minato and Junpei exchanged glances. She thought they were bluffing.

"By the way, I heard you two were walking around the school together. What's up with that?" Junpei asked with a smirk.

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Yukari exclaimed. "I was just showing him around the school."

Junpei raised an eyebrow.

"Listen, we just live in the same dorm," Yukari said. She was clearly exasperated. "There's nothing going on, okay? I just met him yesterday and there's absolutely nothing between us! Why are people even talking about it? Come on, class is going to start soon." She then entered the homeroom.

"Ah, who cares?" Junpei said, turning to Minato. "No one takes rumours seriously anyway. She's so paranoid. But man, you ain't been here for more than an hour and people are already talking about you! You must have really done something to get everyone so riled up! Heh, this is going to be a fun year. I can feel it!"

Taking his seat in the classroom, Minato could not agree more. Though he was sure that his definition of fun was opposite to what Junpei had in mind. He sighed, wondering if this was just another scheme laid out by fate. He had never in his life wanted to stand under the spotlight but it always happened to fall on him whether he liked it or not. And now that many students knew he had some connection to both Akihiko and Yukari, any form of anonymity would be impossible to conjure.

He was not just _a_ transfer student.

He was _the_ transfer student who had magically acquainted himself with two standouts of the student body.

He supposed it could be worse. At the very least, being questioned was tolerable, and it also meant he would not be chased by a horde of girls. He just hoped he did not have to play the role of the third wheel. He swore that if it ever came to that, he would shoot himself in the head. Maybe he could use Yukari's gun. He chuckled at the thought as he pulled out his books.

That reminded him.

What was with those guns?


	3. Velvet

Mitsuru never understood what people meant when they said they ran out of time to do things. The number of commitments she had dedicated herself to was enough to make any other student instantly collapse under the burden, and it always puzzled her at how others could not complete even the simplest of tasks. Surely if they put some effort in they would get somewhere. It had always worked for her. But alas, she was the Kirijo heiress who also happened to be the Student Council President. By definition she was supposed to be the embodiment of perfection, unrivaled in both beauty and intellect.

She sighed and leaned back into the sofa in her room, wondering if applying to be the leader of the student body was the right decision. Her term as President had only lasted a couple of days and she was already beginning to see that the privilege was not really worth it at all. It was not the number of responsibilities the role entailed. She could handle those fine. Rather, it was the way other students behaved whenever she interacted with them. It seemed that everyone felt obliged to treat her with the utmost respect. And while she didn't mind it in small doses, the fact that it happened all the time made being President a living nightmare. Couldn't they see her as a regular student like everyone else? Nothing more and nothing less?

She wondered what it would be like to live as someone who was not shackled by a family name. It would certainly make for an intriguing experience.

As would the cup of tea she was brewing. She decided to skip her usual Darjeeling today and instead try out a different blend. Chamomile. The one she had despised of as a little girl. She remembered when she was younger how she could never get past that flowery scent. _But tea isn't supposed to taste like flowers father_ she had said. Mitsuru smiled at the memory. Oh how naive and inexperienced she was. She still considered herself so but it was a part of her that she could not afford to show anyone.

_Perhaps being President isn't so bad _she thought.

Mitsuru cast her memories aside for now and focused on that flowery scent. It seemed much more tolerable this time round. In fact, it had a beautiful, refreshing aroma. She could not believe she hadn't noticed it until now and brought the cup to her lips to take a sip.

Then there was a knock on her door.

"Kirijo-senpai?" It was Yukari's voice. "The Chairman wants to speak with you. He's downstairs."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute," she replied, placing the cup down onto the glass table in front of her.

_Looks like that's the end of this free session._

Straightening her skirt and adjusting the curls in her hair, she exited the room and proceeded down the hallway. The Chairman had taken a surprising interest in Minato which she found odd. And suspicious.

When she arrived at the lobby, she saw the Chairman seated on the arrangement of sofas and conversing with Yukari. As she had expected, he was wearing the same plain tan suit he always wore.

"Ah Mitsuru, there you are. I'm sorry if I had disturbed you but I just wanted to check with you on how our new guest is going," he said, pushing his glasses up as she approached. "Were there any issues?"

"Mr Chairman," Mitsuru greeted, taking a seat. "There were no problems regarding his transfer here. From our observations, he's behaving exactly how his profile described him."

"Well that's good to hear."

"You'd also be happy to know that we have some confirmation on his 'potential'. He arrived here during the Dark Hour and wasn't transmogrified into a coffin."

The Chairman opened his mouth to reply but at that moment, the front door opened and Minato strode in, inclining his head in greeting.

"Welcome back Arisato," Mitsuru said. "I trust your first day went well?" She saw his face light up momentarily when he met her gaze. Or, she thought she did.

"Let's just say it could have been worse," he replied, glancing at Yukari who returned him a stern look. He then crossed over to where the Chairman was sitting and introduced himself.

The Chairman shook his hand. "My name is Ikutsuki Shuji. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. We didn't receive your schedule due to technical issues so your arrival here last night caught everyone off guard. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"No, I'm quite alright," Minato said. "Mitsuru-senpai and the others have already explained most of what I need to know."

"Well then, I hope you have a successful school year," Ikutsuki said as he stood up. He didn't move for a few moments, his eyes still inspecting Minato. "Hmm, you look tired. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm!'"

A cloud of awkward silence formed as he left his joke hanging and even though Mitsuru had heard far worse from him before, it was still hard not to cringe. _Perhaps I should have told him about this_. Mitsuru glanced at Minato, ignoring Yukari's sigh of exasperation, and was surprised to see him indifferent.

Minato then turned to address them after Ikutsuki left. "So, he has an interesting sense of humor."

"Interesting? More like lame," Yukari said, leaning into the cushion, clearly relieved at Ikutsuki's absence.

"Don't worry about it," Mitsuru said, causing Minato to look at her. "It's something you'll get used to over time."

Minato nodded in response and suppressing a yawn, he walked off to his room. Once they heard the faint sound of his door closing, Mitsuru stood up. It was time to see whether or not he had the potential.

* * *

"Is this really necessary senpai?" Yukari asked, watching Mitsuru flip a switch which loaded up the monitor in front of her.

A few hours had passed and it was almost midnight. Yukari was with both Mitsuru and Akihiko in the command room on the dorm's highest floor. The room itself resembled the lobby somewhat, with an arrangement of sofas around a wooden coffee table and old fashioned red drapes covering the windows, but that was where the similarities ended. On the left side from the entrance was a large monitor, capable of displaying recordings from each of the security cameras installed in every room of the dorm. Currently, it was showing Minato's room and he was sound asleep.

"Even though he arrived during the Dark Hour and wasn't a coffin, I need visual confirmation as to whether he would transmogrify into one," Mitsuru answered, looking at the screen intently.

Yukari turned to Akihiko, who was standing by the sofas.

"For Mitsuru, having solid evidence is a must. You could tell her everything she needed to know but she won't believe any of it till she sees it for real," Akihiko said, smiling.

Mitsuru shot a quick glance at Akihiko that would have made any other person want to eat their words. He just kept on smiling.

Yukari shifted her eyes towards the monitor, feeling ashamed. It felt wrong to spy on him like this. Even if it were to confirm a certain fact that she had a feeling was correct. This was intrusion without consent. She wondered if Mitsuru and Akihiko had done the same to her upon her arrival when the door opened.

"So, how's he doing?" Ikutsuki asked, closing the door behind him.

"He went to bed a little while ago," Mitsuru replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Mr Chairman, do you think he's...?"

"Well, let's wait and see for now. The Dark Hour is approaching."

Seconds after he spoke, Yukari felt the temperature drop. The warmth of the spring evening disappeared and the chills of winter took its place. The ceiling lights and monitor flickered before stabilizing themselves. Although they were safe in the dorm, Yukari could never shake off the uneasiness that came over her when the Dark Hour arrived. She knew that both Mitsuru and Akihiko had been at this for quite some time but it still amazed her at how easily they ignored the shift. Didn't it feel wrong for them too?

They waited a few minutes, silently observing the screen to see if anything would happen. Nothing did.

"Hmm. He's asleep but he's definitely experiencing the Dark Hour," Ikutsuki said. "He's managed to retain his human form so now the only question remains is whether or not he has the potential. Although, he must. If he didn't, they would've preyed on him by now."

Yukari shuddered at the thought. She had heard what could happen to those who failed to turn into coffins.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor him for a few more days," Ikutsuki continued.

Everyone nodded in compliance and turned their attention back to the monitor as he left.

"Well, I'm going out for a bit," Akihiko said, causing Mitsuru and Yukari to look at him curiously. He leaned off the sofa and strode to the exit. "Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on."

"I know," Mitsuru replied with a troubled look. "People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. They say it's due to stress but–"

"Yeah right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time."

"You have a one-track mind. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Don't worry," Akihiko said, punching his fists together. "I'm just getting a little practice."

Watching him leave, Yukari turned her attention to Mitsuru. "He does know that this isn't a game right?"

"To Akihiko, everything is a game," Mitsuru said, turning off the monitor.

Although she did not show it, Yukari could see that Mitsuru was worried. Akihiko's display of confidence made her think about when she would have to fight them. Glancing at her holstered gun reminded her of the many attempts she had tried to use it. Her senpai said it was simple. All she had to do was point it to her head and pull the trigger. So why was it so difficult?

* * *

The color of deep blue. It was the only thing Minato could see as he surveyed his surroundings. It covered the floor, the walls and even the ceiling. But not the back wall, surprisingly enough. That was a chain-linked fence with a large clock engraved in the center. The way it gave off the illusion of an upward motion reminded him of being in an elevator. Peeling his eyes away from the fence, he looked around again and realized he really was in an elevator of some kind. How in the world did he get here? He only remembered returning to his room early after the tiring day and then falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Was this a dream?

His eyes then fell onto the old man who was seated in front of him across a clothed table. The man was hunched over and rested his chin on his clasped white gloved hands. His attire wasn't anything remarkable, a typical black suit, but his unusually long nose most certainly was.

Standing beside him was a young woman with short white hair holding onto a large encyclopedia of some sort. Her features were not cute like Yukari, or exceptionally striking as Mitsuru, but she was still beautiful, albeit in a different way. Perhaps it was the fact that she looked like a stewardess, with her elaborate blue dress. She returned his gaze with a blank stare of her own.

_Who are these people? _

"Where am I?" Minato asked.

The man then opened his eyes and Minato flinched. He had never seen eyes of this kind before. Bulging and bloodshot, he could feel them staring through his skull.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man," the old man said. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He then gestured towards the young woman. "This is Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like me."

"Pleased to meet you," Elizabeth said, bowing gracefully.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It's been years since we've had a guest," Igor said. He waved a hand and a notebook appeared, floating down like a feather onto the table in front of him.

It was the same notebook that the young boy at the reception desk had produced.

"Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place. Henceforth, you shall be welcome here. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return, that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

_My unique ability? What is he talking about?_

"Is this a dream?" Minato asked.

"Indeed it is. You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak. However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later," Igor answered. He gestured to Elizabeth, who walked over to Minato and handed him a blue key.

As soon as he took it, he was blinded by a white light. His consciousness returned to his body and he awoke with a start, feeling something in his hand. Sitting up in his bed, he opened his hand to reveal a key. So this Igor was telling the truth and it was not some dream gone wild. He did not know whether to feel relieved or anxious at that. Probably the latter. Knowing he would not get any more sleep, he stored the key in one of his blazer's chest pockets and decided to prepare for school. At least that was still one aspect of his new life that was not strange.


	4. Awakening

Author's Note: I hope everyone is enjoying my adaptation so far. Just a note that I will be incorporating some aspects of The Answer in future chapters.

* * *

Feeling refreshed, Yukari closed the door to the bathroom and ascended the stairs. Mitsuru had told her that they would be monitoring him for the next few days and that meant staying up until the Dark Hour arrived. Unfortunately, it also meant she would be getting less sleep than the average person, something that she was not fond of.

_Can't she just monitor him by herself? Or with Akihiko-senpai?_

As she reached the second floor, she looked down the hallway and to the last room on the right. Minato's room. She still felt bad that they were treating him like a lab rat and part of her just wanted to run into his room and tell him he was being watched. She almost did so if it were not for the other part of her reminding the consequences of disobeying orders.

Instilled with the fear of Mitsuru's fabled 'execution', she hastily climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and entered the command room to find Ikutsuki chatting with Mitsuru.

"His behavior hasn't change since last night," Mitsuru was saying.

"Very interesting," Ikutsuki replied. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first and suffer from memory loss or disorientation. But he's rather unique in not exhibiting any of the common symptoms."

Suddenly, there was a beep on the panel below the monitor. Mitsuru flipped a switch, enabling communications between the room and anyone with a transceiver.

"Command room," Mitsuru said. "Is that you Akihiko?"

"Mitsuru? You're not gonna believe this. This thing is huge! But, I don't have time to talk. It's chasing me. I wanted to let you guys know, I'm almost there," Akihiko said between breaths.

His transmission then cut off.

"Does that mean he's bringing that thing here?" Yukari asked, feeling the color drain from her face.

"It seems so," Mitsuru said, turning to Ikutsuki. "Mr Chairman, we'll have to suspend our observation for now. Please wait here until the matter is settled."

Ikutsuki nodded and Yukari followed Mitsuru out the room. The time had finally come. Yukari was dreading the day that she would have to fight them and now that she had to, she was even more frightened. As she followed Mitsuru downstairs to the lobby, she couldn't help but shoot nervous glances at her holstered gun. What if she wasn't able to do it? What if she were responsible for getting her senpai injured?

The negative thoughts continued to cascade in her mind but she had no time to dwell on them when Akihiko entered, slamming the door shut behind him. He slumped down and leaned against the door, clutching his side in pain.

Yukari and Mitsuru approached to help him but he waved them off.

"I'm alright," Akihiko said, still breathing heavily. "Get ready to be surprised. It'll be here any second."

"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru snapped.

"Is it one of them senpai?" Yukari asked.

"Yes, but not an ordinary–" Akihiko started before the ground began to shake.

The force of the vibration was strong, enough to send Yukari and Mitsuru stumbling into a nearby sofa. Using the sofa as a means of steadying herself, Yukari glanced at Mitsuru who had pulled out her gun.

"Takeba, go upstairs and wake him up! Then, escape out the back," Mitsuru said.

"But what about you two?" Yukari asked.

"We'll have to stop it here. You led it to us Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight."

"Like I had a choice!" Akihiko growled, hauling himself up. "What are you waiting for Yukari? Go!"

Yukari immediately dashed to the end of the hallway on the second floor. She could not believe it. All this time she had thought the dorm was the one place she would be safe. Where _they_ would not be able to access. But now, it seemed nowhere was safe.

* * *

He had felt the ground shake. He had heard Mitsuru shout orders. So when Yukari burst into his room and yanked him out of bed, Minato complied without any qualms. They quickly made their way back down the stairs, past the dining table and to the back door. A beep startled them as they arrived and Yukari raised a hand to her collar and enabled her transceiver.

"Takeba, do you read me?"

It was Mitsuru's voice.

"Y-Yes! I hear you!" Yukari answered.

"Be careful. There's more than one enemy. The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

The lights fizzled out as the transmission cut off and Minato seized Yukari's arm, pulling her away from the back door. She gasped and pulled back from his hold.

"What?!" she exclaimed.

Minato pointed towards the back door and after a few seconds, there were several loud knocks.

"It's not safe here," he said. "Is there anywhere else we can go?"

He could not make out her face in the darkness but knew she was trembling with fear.

"I-If they're downstairs, th-then we can only go up," Yukari said. "To the roof."

She then grabbed his arm and lead him back to the stairs. Once they reached the highest floor of the dorm, they stopped to catch their breaths. Minato glimpsed out one of the windows and noticed that there were black pillars outside, arranged in a zigzag pattern. Upon closer inspection, a daunting blue mask held by a black hand rose to greet him. He recoiled, blinking to ensure it was not some hallucination. When he realized it really wasn't, he froze in shock.

What was this...thing?

And why was it staring at him with a sense of familiarity?

He heard Yukari shouting, telling him to move out of the way, but as hard as he tried, he could not. Paralyzed with fear (or perhaps just pure disbelief at the events unfolding), he watched as the thing raised one of its many hands and smashed through the window in an attempt to grab him. Shards of glass sprayed everywhere as he felt Yukari tackle him to the ground, and the thing retracted its hand.

_That was too close. _

Yukari helped Minato to his feet and the two stormed their way through the rooftop exit door, locking it.

"I think we're okay for now," Yukari said. "Are you alright?"

Minato nodded in response. "What was that?" he asked, still shaken.

Before Yukari could reply, the ground shook once more. The vibration seemed to have spawned from behind them. They turned around and paled as they observed their assailant climb onto the far end of the roof, its many hands now brandishing sinister blades that reflected the yellow glow of the moon. In the middle of all its limbs was the hand that held the blue mask. It spotted them after a quick survey of the roof and began to close the distance between them in a fanatic crawl.

Minato glanced at Yukari and watched as she pulled out her gun and reluctantly placed it to her head. _What is she doing? Exactly how is killing yourself going to help right now?_

"To answer your question, these monsters... We call them Shadows!" Yukari said, pulling the trigger.

Transparent energy columns began to materialize around her and Minato could see the silhouette of a girl forming. Unfortunately, she had been too late in summoning whatever it was because the Shadow had already reached them. With one swift swing of its arm, Yukari was knocked aside into a puddle of blood, her gun flying into the air and landing at Minato's feet. He watched as the Shadow turned its lifeless gaze on him and moved in position to strike.

A white light flashed across his eyes. He could still see the Shadow in front of him but for some reason, its movements became sluggish.

Then, a familiar voice whispered in his mind.

"Go on," it said.

The voice was that of the weird young boy in striped pajamas. Visions of him appeared in a kaleidoscopic fashion, his hypnotic eyes gesturing to pick up the gun. Minato knelt, retrieved the gun from his feet, and placed the cold barrel against his temple.

As soon as he did so, something stirred inside him. It raged like an angry beast trapped in a cage and the sensation made him feel sick.

And euphoric.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the stench of pollution mixed with fresh blood and the night's mist. It was a futile attempt to calm his nerves as the scent only intensified the calling.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the intermittent whispers of the ethereal voice. He could hear his heart beating in anticipation of the next call; the pulses of blood in his veins reverberating in a steady rhythm. When the whispers crescendoed into a mellow male voice, he saw a man kneeling in front of a grave.

Or what appeared to be a man anyway. While his head was organic, with snow white hair, the rest of him, or 'it', was completely synthetic. Cradling his lyre affectionately, his hands plucked away at the strings, the melancholic sounds in tune with his singing.

Then, the man stopped and looked at him. Minato stared into the intense gaze of the man's red eyes and was surprised that the stare was not one of confusion or annoyance. It was instead, one of familiarity, as if they had known each other since childhood. Minato then realized what all this meant. What this being was waiting for.

_He's waiting for me to..._

Snapping his eyes open, Minato returned to reality to see the Shadow poised to strike. He should have been filled with dread but he was completely calm. As his index finger slowly squeezed the trigger, images of that man flickered. He knew who this was, and he knew what he had to do.

"Per...

Minato pulled–

"so...

–the trigger and–

"na!"

–his mind shattered.

Bars of blue light rose from the ground and Minato felt a wave of stress being released. He lowered the gun, breathing heavily. He did not need to look behind him to see if _he_ had appeared. He knew _he_ was there.

"_Thou art I. And I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings_," the Persona voiced telepathically.

For a few seconds, Minato stood there, watching the Shadow take a few steps back. Whatever sense of danger he had felt before was replaced by a burning desire to kill. He shot his arm forward, directing Orpheus to attack but stopped halfway as ripples of pain flowed across his body. Orpheus felt it as well and convulsed violently until he imploded.

Taking his place, was something far more demonic. Covered in a black robe with a hawk-like face, the new Persona lunged at the Shadow, outstretching its eight chain-linked coffins like an eagle spreading its wings.

The Shadow's mask was sliced in half by the Persona's katana and the Shadow itself split apart. Its writhing remains were grabbed by the new Persona, who compressed it until it burst. Black blood sprayed in all directions but Minato was too busy clenching his head in pain to take any notice of it splattering on his uniform.

The pain then subsided as Orpheus reappeared in a flash and for a moment, Minato had control. He commanded Orpheus to blast the several smaller Shadows that had tagged along with the larger one. Bright red flames lashed out as Orpheus strummed his harp and the Shadows melted instantly.

As the last Shadow melted to a puddle of goo, Orpheus dissipated and Minato felt the pain shoot back into his body. This time, the convulsion was too much. The last thing he heard was Yukari's voice before all went to black.


	5. Hangover

A/N: Hey all, back with another chapter. I know it's a little shorter than usual but hopefully it'll be enough till the next update, which will be based on a scene from The Answer.

* * *

A hangover was something Minato had yet to experience but with no energy, a churning stomach and a migraine, he was sure that he was quite close to having one. Although how he obtained it in the first place still puzzled him. He had only turned Yukari's gun on himself and pulled the trigger to summon that _thing_ that went on to destroy the other _things_. So how did all these symptoms pop up? It made no sense.

He opened his eyes slightly to see the spinning blades of the ceiling fan. Even though its rotations were slow, the motion was enough to make him dizzy. He then closed his eyes, trying to settle in that bubble of tranquility. It was much harder than he thought and the fact that his senses were still very sensitive did nothing to alleviate the situation. Whispers outside sounded like shouts, and the chemicals from some antiseptic were so pungent that inhaling only added to the discomfort in his stomach.

There was also perfume in the air.

That was strange. Why would there be perfume in a hospital? Maybe it belonged to one of the nurses that had been assigned to him. Yes, it had to be.

"You're awake!"

The voice was so loud it made Minato's ears rings and he turned to his left to see Yukari sitting beside him. So that was the source of the perfume. He would have glared at her for startling him but decided it was not worth the effort. _And here I thought it was some nurse. _

"Do...you mind...just...speaking softer?" Minato said, propping himself up to lean against the pillows.

"Oh sorry," she replied, hushing her tone. "Is this better?"

Minato nodded and she sighed.

"It's so good to see you come around," she said. "The doctor said you were just exhausted but you kept sleeping and sleeping."

"Really? How long have I been asleep?" Minato asked.

"A whole week! We were worried you weren't going to wake. I guess you're still feeling the after effects."

"You could say that I suppose. By the way, did you happen to write down the name of that cocktail I ordered? Because I won't be drinking that again."

Yukari gave him an odd look and raised an eyebrow.

"Cocktail?" she said. "You do remember what happened that night don't you?"

"Of course I do. I was just trying not to," he replied. _Why does she have to be such a killjoy?_

"Okay..." Yukari said. She was not amused at all. "Anyway, I just came to check up on you because Mitsuru-senpai and the Chairman couldn't make it. They want to know if you remember what happened."

Minato shifted to a more comfortable position and felt some of his energy return.

"Well, I recall that those things in the masks – you called them 'Shadows' – were attacking us and knocked you unconscious," he said. "I then picked up your gun and pulled the trigger. But instead of killing myself, I summon this weird thing that went on a rampage and destroyed all the Shadows. Was that supposed to happen?"

Yukari opened her mouth, then closed it. She was surprised at the clarity of his memory. "Yeah, that's about right," she said. "And as to your question, I'm not too sure. I mean, it's normal to summon a Persona when you use an Evoker, but I'm not sure if that deal with another Persona ripping apart the first was 'normal'."

Minato shot her a questioning look. _Persona? Evoker?_

"Don't worry if you don't understand," Yukari continued. "We'll explain everything later when you're fully recovered. Speaking of that, how are you feeling?"

Minato took a breath before answering. His stomach had settled somewhat and his head felt clearer. He could have sworn it was Yukari's perfume that was easing his grogginess.

"Let's just say I feel like I've had way too much to drink. Alcohol, that is," Minato replied.

"Still going with the hangover analogies? Have you even been hung-over before?" Yukari asked.

"Not at all."

Yukari suppressed a smile and sighed. "You're pretty weird, you know that? I didn't think you'd have the guts to joke about something this serious."

Minato shrugged.

"Well, thanks for being there," Yukari said. She chuckled. "So much for me trying to protect you. I completely messed up."

"You did what you could. And honestly, it's not your fault," Minato replied.

"But–"

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

He gazed into her auburn eyes and after a while, she looked away, tinges of pink on her cheeks.

"O-Okay. But I owe you one," she said, standing up. "Anyway, I should get going. I'll go let the others know you're awake."

Minato nodded and with a yawn, he lay back onto the pillows. As she strode over to the doorway, she turned on her heel and faced him again.

"Hey, can I confess something?" she asked. She sounded serious.

Not wanting to risk tripping the wire that would ignite the torrent of discomfort, Minato remained still and just gestured for her to continue.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it before but I... I wanted to tell you that, I'm like you," she said.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked.

"I had a...peek at your profile and, I already know about your past. About how your...parents died in that car accident on Moonlight Bridge."

Minato leaned forward again and tensed a little as he waited for any signs of discomfort to come springing to life. There was none. Lucky.

"Oh you don't have to be shy about that," he said. "It happened a long time ago and I don't remember much of it. So if you're thinking that it's going to rile me up, trust me, it's not. I'm guessing you're alone too?"

"Kind of. My mother is still alive but we aren't on good terms," Yukari replied. "And my father... Well, he died in an accident when I was little. I'm sure you heard of the big explosion in Tatsumi Port Island back in '99. Supposedly, my father died in the blast but nobody really knows what happened. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. Since the Group took you in after your parents' accident, I was wondering if you know anything about them that might help me find out something. Like maybe, you knew Mitsuru-senpai before now."

A memory raced across Minato's mind as Yukari spoke those words. It was so fast and before he knew it, it was gone. Was what Yukari said the truth? That he had some past acquaintance with Mitsuru?

Minato frowned. He had only met Mitsuru the other week. So it couldn't be. Yet why did he get the feeling he had known her before? He shook his head and filed the thought away. He would deal with it later. It hurt too much to think.

"I'm pretty sure I've never met Mitsuru-senpai before," he said. "From what I can remember, the only exposure to the Group I've had were some medical check-ups, a transfer to a school – not Gekkoukan – and them giving me accommodation. I haven't the faintest idea of what their plans were, or are now."

"I see. Well, thanks for answering. Take it easy okay? I'll see you later," Yukari replied, leaving before Minato could utter another word.

Her hasty departure signaled that she was not at all satisfied with his answers. _Well that's what she gets when she asks someone with a hangover. _As he watched the fan's blades continue their endless loop, he pondered on why Yukari would ask such a thing. She obviously had some suspicions about the Kirijo Group and the fact that her father had died working for them reassured those suspicions. After all, it seemed that she was rather reluctant to check up on him. It felt...forced.

Minato closed his eyes. Until he received some solid answers as to what this return to Iwatodai was for, he would take everything with a grain of salt. His last thought before a nurse opened his door was whether or not coming home was worth it.


	6. Purpose

A/N: And here is my first chapter using material from The Answer. For those of you who haven't played or seen it, be warned that spoilers follow.

* * *

The central hub of Paulownia Mall was noisy. People talking and laughing, the constant rushing of water from the three fountains, the ringing of cutlery from the several cafes scattered around. It filled the ears of everyone in the area. Everyone, except Junpei. Watching the young boy across the mall ask his father for a coin to throw in the 'wishing' fountain, and having that request granted, the sounds around him were muffled. Why couldn't his father be someone like that? Responsible, caring, someone he could look up to. It was not that much to ask for.

_Stupid old man _he thought. _How low do you have to be to get drunk on cooking wine?_

Shifting his gaze away from the happy family, he wondered whether he could have prevented his father from being an alcoholic when a white Shiba Inu approached him.

"Yo, 'sup pooch? Here to join my 'Nowhere To Go' after-school club?" Junpei said, not caring if it was weird to be talking to a stray dog in public.

The dog barked happily in response and nuzzling against his shin, it gave him a pleading look.

"Sorry, I don't have any food for ya. Y'know, haven't I seen you around here before?"

The dog barked again and Junpei heard someone call his name. He looked up to see two classmates approaching.

"Hey man, why the long face?" the taller of the two asked. "Are you that sad we're in different homerooms now?"

"Still dumb as rocks aren't ya?" Junpei replied, shaking his head. "Wait, isn't it way past your dorm curfew? What're you guys doing out so late?"

"Oh we just snuck out using the secret exit. Hey, we're going to Club Escapade. Wanna come with? I'm helping this guy drown his sorrows over a girl."

The taller student yanked the arm of his companion, who immediately denied his failure in asking a girl out.

"Well that's what you get for going after someone like Takeba Yukari," the tall student said. He turned his attention back to Junpei. "Although, I never expected her to hook up with that new transfer student. I guess she likes that dark side of his."

Junpei raised an eyebrow. Apart from the fact that Minato had somehow fallen sick for a week, there did not seem to be any oddities about him. _Falling sick for a week is pretty strange though. _

"Dark? He's pretty normal," Junpei said.

"No, I'm serious. That transfer kid? Rumor has it both his parents died when he was little. Someone got a peek at his file when Toriumi-sensei left it lying around," the taller student replied.

_ These idiots and their bloody rumors. _"Man you're so gullible. That kinda stuff only happens in movies."

"Hey, I did say it was a rumor. But anyway, let's get going! You snooze, no booze!"

"Booze?" Junpei asked, his expression darkening. "I think I'm gonna pass."

"What's the matter? C'mon, why don't you live a little–"

"I said I'm gonna pass!" he exclaimed, standing up. When he realized that several onlookers were eyeing him, he backed down. "I just...ain't in the mood."

"Whatever," his classmate said, turning on his heel and dragging his friend along towards the club.

Junpei watched them disappear into the bar. _Booze? Really? They're not even of age yet!_ He looked down at the floor and was surprised that the dog was still standing by his feet. It seemed to approve of his declination. As he extended his left arm to pat the dog's head, his right arm reached into his pocket for his cell phone.

"Man, I had better get going," he muttered to himself upon seeing the time.

Adjusting his baseball cap, he bid the dog farewell and exited the mall, walking towards the convenience store across the road. He thought it strange that the temperature could drop this low on what was a warm spring day. The night mist had settled in and he could see wisps of his breath as he exhaled.

After gulping down the remnants of the soda he had bought, Junpei sighed. He never felt so lost and useless in his life. Even his home was no longer a safe haven, especially when he had to deal with his drunk father.

Just thinking about him made his blood curdle and in a sudden rage, he chucked the soda can onto the pavement and stomped on it. Every blow represented a moment of his life in which he resented his father for not being the man he should be. At the end of it, he kicked the flattened can like a striker kicking a goal and it disappeared into the nearby bushes. He stood there for a little while, his eyes still fixated on those bushes, before taking a seat on the curb in front of the convenience store.

_Is my life really as bad as it seems now?_

He took off his cap and looked up, gazing at the black sea that was the night sky. It was void of stars tonight.

_I just wish there was like, something I could do to change the world. Like some awesome skill no one else has._

The thought made him smile to himself and reminded him of his immaturity. Of course there would not be any awesome skill. That sort of thing only happened in fiction. No, he would just be a regular guy who would get a regular job and live a regular life.

At least, that was what he thought before the lights went out.

The darkness caught him by surprise and he jumped up. He pivoted, and saw only the reflection of a very pale moon from the windows of the convenience store. He rushed into the store to find the checkout worker, only to find that the worker was not there anymore. In the place where the worker should have been standing, was a large black coffin standing upright. It looked to be very well polished as Junpei could see a clear reflection of himself. He backed away from it, eyes widening.

_What the hell is this?_

His back then hit something solid. He slowly turned around and saw a distorted version of himself in the glossy surface of another black coffin. The image was horrendous, like someone had used a photo editing program to liquidate his face, and startled, Junpei fell onto his backside. Scrambling to his feet, he exited the store, hoping that this was some dream or hallucination he was having.

What he saw outside confirmed that it was anything but.

The outskirts of Paulownia Mall was littered with coffins, some standing along the streets, and some on the road itself. All reflected the sickly green tinge of the sky. There was no one to be found. No electricity. Nothing. It was as if the apocalypse just happened.

As he looked around trying to find anything that resembled the world he knew, Junpei wondered if zombies would start pouring out of those coffins. He had seen something similar to this happen in some video game he once played (it was, he believed, an MMORPG called Innocent Sin Online), and the very thought sent shivers down his spine.

Something moved.

He noticed the black blur out of the corner of his eye. _Oh geez, can my luck get any worse? _He rummaged through his pockets in an effort to find something to defend himself with. Half a packet of gum, his cell phone and wallet, and a crumpled piece of paper.

_Okay, I can do this. _

He had seen people in movies improvise all the time and they always came out alive at the end of it. Perhaps he could bribe whatever it was in the alleyway with gum? He could tell the thing to swallow it all and hope that it would choke and–

_Oh who am I kidding? Like hell that's gonna work!_

A low pitched groan filled the empty night and Junpei's world darkened as an ominous shadow loomed over him. He turned, and saw a tall mass of black sludge towering in front of him. Its arms were raised and the blue mask that he assumed to be its face gave him an impassive stare.

_So I guess this is it. I'm gonna become food for this freak. _

He was glad there was no coffins around. He did not want to see the despair on his face. It would have probably scared him more than looking into the face of this thing. Junpei raised his arms and covered his face, waiting for the inevitable.

Fortunately, the thing never got the chance to consume him. It instead exploded in a spray of black blood. Through the gaps of his arms, Junpei saw a figure standing in its place. He was wearing a red sweater vest and his short silver hair gleamed in the moonlight. His clenched fists appeared to be holding a pair of bladed cestuses.

"Akihiko-senpai?" Junpei asked, lowering his arms.

The figure pivoted. It was Akihiko. But what was he doing here? And at this hour?

"Junpei? What the hell are you doing here?" Akihiko said, glancing around.

"Dude, I could ask ya the same thing," Junpei replied, sighing with relief. "But more importantly, WHAT THE FREAKIN' HELL WAS THAT?"

"They're called Shadows," Akihiko said, removing his cestuses and clipping them onto his belt. "I was tailing this one as it had managed to– Wait a minute. You're not a coffin. Which means..."

"A coffin? You mean those coffins everywhere are actually PEOPLE? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have the potential and could possibly be of great help to us. I don't have the time to answer all your questions so if you want answers, come to this dorm tomorrow night."

Akihiko fished a small card out of his pocket and handed it to Junpei, who quickly examined it.

"You guys Shadow hunters or somethin'?" Junpei asked, pocketing the card.

"You catch on quick. Anyway, if you're serious about joining, you're going to have to transfer to the dorm. It just makes coordinating events...easier," Akihiko replied, turning to walk off. "Let me know your decision tomorrow at school."

Watching Akihiko walk off into the darkness, Junpei took out the card again. _Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad? That's a funny name for a club. _Maybe it would be a good idea to join. He never liked being left with unanswered questions. They were like a drug addiction, and the urge to know would constantly harass him until he had his dose.

Shoving the card back into his pocket, Junpei made his way home. Yes, he would join. He would be 'Junpei, the Shadow Hunter! Ordinary student by day, but elusive hero by night!' The thought made his smile stretch from cheek to cheek. For once, he was glad to be heading home and seeing his father again. It would be one of the last few times he did.


	7. Formation

A/N: Hey all, back with another update. For this chapter I decided to mix in several scenes that happen over a few days in the game so that it's more streamlined. Hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

Minato awoke to the sound of several loud knocks on his door. He glanced at his alarm clock and saw that it read ten o'clock in the evening. Time to get up. Hoisting himself off his bed, he strode towards the door.

Today had been a strange day. While he was fully recovered, and felt that sprinting a couple hundred of meters wouldn't even make him break a sweat, he was not scheduled to be released out of hospital for another two days. He wondered what kind of black magic Mitsuru had used to persuade the nurses into letting him out early, as his negotiations with them ended with him being locked in his room. They were a stubborn bunch, those nurses, and never ceased to ramble on about how he needed more rest and that he should not be wandering around. How would they know what he was feeling anyway?

He pulled his door open to reveal Mitsuru, who stood with her arms folded. Her face was impeccable as ever and if the day's events had been exhausting for her, she did not show it.

"Good, you're up. I was afraid that I was going to have to come in and wake you," Mitsuru said, watching Minato close the door. "I apologize if I've been keeping you from doing anything too strenuous."

"It's alright," Minato replied. "I understand you need me for something important."

What that important thing was, he still had no clue. All Mitsuru had told him in the limousine back to the dorm was that he would need all his energy for his tonight. She had been reluctant to speak after that instruction and had skilfully evaded any questions about Shadows and Personas he had thrown.

As he walked with her up the stairs and to the fourth floor, he couldn't help but notice she was wearing perfume. The whiffs of her scent he caught drifting off her vibrant hair wasn't the type that fogged his senses or made him want to gag. It wasn't like what almost every other girl in Gekkoukan, or his previous school for that matter, wore either. No, the fragrance was something sweet with a subtle touch of spiciness. And another ingredient that he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, he knew this – it suited her perfectly.

"Thanks again for bailing me out today," he said, turning to face her as they reached the doors to the command room. "If it weren't for you, I would have probably gone insane, being locked in that room."

"I can imagine," Mitsuru replied with a smile. "Don't worry, you'll have your answers very soon."

They entered the command room and except for the large computer monitor on the left side, the room was – to Minato anyway – a complete replica of the foyer. He took a seat next to Yukari who greeted him with a glance. She then engrossed herself back to her cell phone, still a little edgy.

Shortly after, Akihiko and the Chairman entered with a familiar face. He wore the uniform of Gekkoukan High and would have looked like another ordinary student if it weren't for his navy blue baseball cap.

"J-Junpei?" Yukari gasped as her eyes looked up from her phone. "Why is HE here? Wait, don't tell me–"

"This is Iori Junpei from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today," Akihiko said.

Even though the lighting was quite dim, Minato could see Junpei's wide smile. He glanced at Yukari, who gave him a look of despair and stood up.

"He staying HERE?!" she exclaimed. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Akihiko bumped into him last night," Mitsuru said as Akihiko helped Ikutsuki place the two briefcases on the coffee table. "He has the potential and agreed to help."

Yukari looked from Junpei to Mitsuru, then back to Junpei.

"You have the potential? For real?" Yukari asked.

"That I do Yuka-tan," Junpei said, still grinning. "Akihiko-senpai found me at the convenience store looking half-dead and surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much but man, that was embarrassing. Anyway, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one." He smirked. "I bet you're stoked, having me join."

"Yeah, I guess," Yukari replied as kindly as possible, though she may as well have asked why it had to be him. "Though once you hear the details of it all, you might wanna think twice about this."

"Details? What details? Don't you guys just go huntin' Shadows every other night?"

"Yeah but–"

"Then what's there to think twice about?" he said, walking past her to greet Minato. "Hey man, good to see ya again."

Minato bumped his fist. "Good to see you too."

"Can you believe this one?" Junpei whispered, gesturing at Yukari who looked away and mumbled something unintelligible. "It's like she's trying to kick me out already."

"You two have some sort of history?" Minato asked.

"It's a long story," he replied, nodding. "I'll tell ya some other time. But dude, how lucky are you? Living here with both Yuka-tan AND Mitsuru-senpai. It's the dream isn't it?"

Minato watched as Mitsuru gracefully strode across the room to instruct Akihiko and Ikutsuki. He really could not place what it was that made her allure so intoxicating.

"I suppose. But whether that counts as being lucky, or an act of coincidence, I'm not so sure," Minato said, now eyeing the pair of silver briefcases.

"Seriously dude? Of course you're lucky! Man, you have no idea how many guys would kill to be you right now," Junpei replied, shaking his head.

Ikutsuki cleared his throat. "Well now that everyone knows each other, I'd like to have your undivided attention." Once everyone took their seats on the arrangement of sofas, he turned to Minato and Junpei. "Especially you two. Now, would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?"

Hearing those words made Minato feel like he was being lectured by an idiot. He exchanged glances with Junpei who was equally as confused. Or insulted. What kind of nonsense was the Chairman going on about? Minato's eyes drifted towards Mitsuru, who chuckled at his reaction.

_Is this what she meant by answers?_

"I'm not surprised by your reaction," she said. "However, you've already experienced this firsthand. Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs. The streetlights went out, nothing was working, there were coffins everywhere. That's the Dark Hour, a time period hidden between one day and the next."

Minato listened as Mitsuru, Akihiko and Ikutsuki told their story, feeling all the pieces of the puzzle fix themselves together. How the weirdness on the night of his arrival was caused by the Dark Hour. How the messes of black sludge with blue masks were Shadows and how they were responsible for the cases of Apathy Syndrome he had been hearing about in the news. How Evokers were used to simulate an act of suicide so that a person's state of mind could handle the summoning of a Persona, which was the cause of the constant calling that reverberated in his psyche. It all made sense now. Except for one thing.

"So what causes the Dark Hour?" Minato asked.

Everyone turned their eyes on him, shocked at the fact that he had processed the material so quickly. And with very little skepticism.

"I-I'm glad you're quick to understand," Mitsuru said, regaining her composure. "We don't exactly know what the cause of it is yet but we believe we can find the reason in Tartarus, a labyrinth that only reveals itself during the Dark Hour. Think of it as a Shadow nest."

_So they don't know either. _

It was to be expected that they did not have an answer, Minato supposed. He turned to examine the others. Junpei was still in disbelief as he had thought, and Yukari's bored expression told him that she had heard all this before. But as well as she hid it, he noticed her eyeing Mitsuru with a hint of disdain; the look reminding him of the day she visited him in the hospital and asked about his relations with the Kirijo Group. He had assumed she had some suspicions but it looked to be a little more than that.

"Man, this is pretty extreme stuff," Junpei said. "And here I thought you guys would just be wanderin' around Port Island, killing Shadows as a sort of work out or something." He turned to Minato. "Hey, you think this is weird too don't you?"

Minato took a moment before answering, glancing at Ikutsuki and both his senpai. It seemed as though they were more concerned with him being on board than anyone else. "Considering what I experienced the other night, I think what they've said so far seems plausible. Unless you can think of a better explanation yourself."

Junpei opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head.

"In any case, we've prepared an Evoker for both of you," Mitsuru said, standing up and opening one of the briefcases. "We'd like you to lend us your strength."

Minato and Junpei leaned forward and peered at the contents. Inside was a silver handgun emblazoned with the letters S.E.E.S. and a few accessories; a holster and strap, and a red armband with the same inscription as the gun. Now that he thought about it, both of his senpai and Yukari were all wearing that armband. Minato took out the gun and examined it. It was surprisingly heavy for its size and he wondered if any alterations could be arranged to his liking. Placing the Evoker back in the briefcase, he looked up at everyone.

"I'll help you," he announced. "If Shadows leave behind nothing but a husk of a human, then I see no reason why we shouldn't fight back."

Mitsuru smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate that you see the sense in fighting them. Iori?"

"Well, I did say I'd help you guys out," Junpei said. He still looked troubled. "But are Personas the only thing we can use? 'Cause shooting myself is gonna take some time to get used to."

"I concur," Minato added. "If Tartarus is their nest, then I'm sure there'll be more than we can handle, even with the five of us. And if the other night's anything to go by, I'd rather not be knocked out for a week every time I summon."

Akihiko stood up, crossed over to the monitor and flicked a switch. The monitor hummed to life and after pressing a few more buttons, it displayed a recording of the roof the night the dorm was attacked. Everyone watched in silence (Junpei was in complete awe) as the Minato in the recording placed Yukari's Evoker to his head, pulled the trigger, then convulse as the newly summoned Orpheus was ripped apart.

"We were watching you when you summoned your Persona," Akihiko said as the recording ended. "And as far as we can tell, we've never seen a case like yours. Summoning for the first time has different side effects for everyone and so it's likely your exhaustion was just that. A side effect. Over time, you should get used to it but make sure you let us know if something's off. A Persona gone berserk is no joke."

As Akihiko shut the monitor off, Minato caught a glimpse of his brow creasing at that last statement. Had it happened to him before?

"So...are there other ways of dealing with the Shadows?" Junpei asked, his face still aghast at the footage. "Like, are we gonna need guns and grenades or something?"

"No, there will be none of that," Mitsuru said. "As effective as live ammunition is, they're too impractical with all the paperwork and questions." She glanced at Akihiko, who nodded and picked up the two briefcases. "However, there are other things we can use."

Ikutsuki excused himself, saying he needed to return to his research, as Mitsuru stood up and gestured for the three juniors to follow her and Akihiko to a polished mahogany door in the corner of the room with numerous locks. Reaching into her skirt pocket, she pulled out a set of keys and selected one to unlock one of the locks. Then she used another key for another lock. And so on. When she was done, she pulled the door open and stepped through, flicking the lights on to reveal a room filled with weapons.

Many, many weapons.

Sheathed swords hung like trophies at the far end of the room while entire stands of battle axes, spears, bows and quivers of arrows, and even fighting gauntlets and cestuses decorated the sides. The swords were of all different types and cultures, ranging from slender katanas, to fencing sabers, to heavy broadswords. All were sharpened and were patiently waiting to be used.

Minato made his way to an antique wooden table in the center of the room, where Akihiko had placed his and Junpei's Evokers, and saw that there were many more Evokers lying beneath a glass case. He had expected them to be kept out of sight but was surprised that there were so many of them.

"You never know when you might run into a Persona user," Akihiko said as Minato inspected the Evokers. "We had about a half a dozen made just in case."

Leaving the table, Minato turned and walked towards the display of European swords. He could only marvel at how the Kirijo Group snuck such an arsenal into a student's dormitory. It definitely would have involved some black magic indeed.

His eyes scanned through several swords before finally falling on one of them. He gently took it off its stand and unsheathed from its scabbard. It was a simple saber, lightweight, with a pristine curved blade and a standard guard. There wasn't anything remarkable about it but holding it in his hands, Minato knew that this would do. Less was always more.

"So I see you prefer one handed swords," Mitsuru said.

Minato looked up from inspecting his chosen weapon, and noticed her standing beside him.

"Well I figured that I would want to have a free hand to use my Evoker," he replied, testing the weight and feel of the blade. Yes. This was definitely the saber he wanted. "I'm more familiar with these than katanas and the like since I've used them before when I was younger."

"Really?" Mitsuru asked, a little intrigued.

Minato nodded. "I'll save that story for another day. But as I said, I will help you. Everything you have told me tonight has piqued my interest and I'm eager to find the answers."

"You can count me in too," Junpei said, making his way over to them, a katana in his hands and a grin on his face.

"Hang on a second. You guys are joining just like that? You're not curious about all this?" Yukari asked, gesturing to the weapons.

"C'mon Yuka-tan," Junpei said. "A guy only gets to use one of _these_ once in a lifetime."

Yukari ignored him and approached Minato.

"Oh I'm not saying I'm not curious," Minato said, sheathing his saber and looking her square in the eye. "But it doesn't matter. Now that I know there's a backup plan, I don't have to worry about falling back on my Persona all the time. And besides, all _this_?" He brought his saber up. "I have a knack for all of _this_." He turned to face Mitsuru. "When do we start?"

Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko, who nodded, and smiled. "You're in luck. Because we're going to Tartarus tonight."


	8. Thebel

A/N: You may have noticed I have changed the title of this fic to just _Journey to the Answer_ and that's because, for the sake of convenience, I decided to scrap the idea of separating the story into four individual entries. For all my wonderful readers, I hope that this provides an easier reading experience.

* * *

From the way everyone held their weapons, Minato thought remaining inconspicuous whilst travelling to wherever Tartarus was would be impossible. With twenty-four hour convenience stores placed in 'convenient' places, bars full of workers drowning their woes in saké and a steady stream of traffic, Iwatodai was anything but a ghost town at night. Yet somehow they had managed to bypass some of the most busiest areas of the district without garnering much, if not any, attention. Granted, it was a good thing but Minato wondered exactly how they would explain themselves if questions were asked. Yukari's longbow and quiver of arrows might have been within explanation but Junpei's katana? Or his saber? People would think that they were members of the Yakuza.

Thinking that made him question whether the Kirijo Group was secretly part of it as well, or just an entirely different entity. His childhood memories of the Group were still foggy and whenever he tried to remember anything about them, he could only recall fragmented visions depicting some laboratory, and several humanoid silhouettes walking towards him amid a glow of embers. Yukari had made it clear that she was suspicious of the Group. Should he be as well?

"Wait, _this_ is the place?" Junpei groaned. "Why here?"

Looking at his surroundings, Minato could not agree more.

They were in front of Gekkoukan High School. It was hard to tell as there were few lampposts in the area but upon closer inspection, it was his school. Only, it did not look like a school anymore. Covered in a blanket of darkness and having a pathway flanked by a line of ominous cherry blossom trees, it may as well have been a haunted mansion, with the arrival of the Dark Hour adding to that illusion.

The shift was odd. There was no doubt about it. But the sense of wrongness that the Dark Hour brought was so obvious it puzzled Minato how he had not noticed it on the day of his arrival. The drop in temperature, the stagnant air. The way some places were brighter than others even though all the streetlights were off and the discolored moon. The distortions caused by the ripples of the Dark Hour should have been alien to him. It really should have.

But it wasn't.

He did not know how but some part of him recognized the sensations brought forth, and told him that all this was to be expected.

The one thing it did not tell him was the transformation of Gekkoukan High School to a gigantic tower. Tartarus. It took the place of the main building, stretching further and further into the cloudy green sky as its exterior of randomly shaped and sized steel – which protruded in different directions – was established. The resulting monument was a mess, as if the architect was heavily drunk when sketching the design.

Minato followed the others to the entrance (when Yukari and Junpei had finished gawking at its grotesque magnificence) and upon entering the lobby of Tartarus, they were greeted by a large staircase that stood in the center of the room. At the top of the stairs, was an antique golden clock with a carved doorway. A few paces away from the staircase was a bizarre spherical device that began to glow green the moment Akihiko neared it.

_This is all wrong. How can a tower just appear out of nowhere?_

He continued to look around in disbelief when his eyes fell onto a freestanding deep blue door that was to the left of the staircase. It stood there, beckoning for him to enter. Minato approached it and automatically, he reached into his pocket for the key Elizabeth had given him, and placed it into the lock. The door opened and within seconds, he was back in the Velvet Room.

Igor was still seated in front of him across that same clothed table, and Elizabeth was still standing on his left with that giant encyclopedia in her arms. It appeared as if time had not passed at all since his previous visit.

"It's so nice to see you again," Igor said. "The time has come for you to wield your power."

"You mean my Persona?" Minato asked.

Igor nodded. "However, you should know that your power is unique. It's like the number zero. Empty, but at the same time, holds infinite possibilities."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see in due time," Igor said, his smile widening. "That being said, your power is still weak. If you are to seek the answers to the tower you are about to venture into, keep in mind that the more emotional ties with others you develop, the more your power will evolve. Now then, time marches on in your world and I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Until the next time we meet, good luck, and farewell."

A bright light engulfed his vision and within seconds, Minato was staring into the curious eyes of his friends.

_Well isn't this awkward._

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

"Our senpai was just explaining about this place," Yukari said, eyeing him. "Have you been nodding off? 'Cause it isn't like you to be out of it."

"Yeah dude, you look like a zombie," Junpei added.

"I guess I must have," Minato responded with a shrug, turning to face his senpai. Did he really look that bad? "But I did hear you guys say that you've explored it a little before and that everything between here and the top is Shadow territory."

"Well, at least you heard that much," Akihiko said. "Anyway, we'll have you three get a feel for this place."

Yukari gasped. "What? By ourselves? You can't be serious!"

"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru explained. "Besides, you'll learn more this way."

Minato tightened his grip on his saber. She had a point. But with no knowledge of Yukari and Junpei's combat experience, he truly wondered if this was the best way of doings things.

"So you guys didn't plan on comin' in the first place?" Junpei asked, his shoulders slumped.

"Not unless you run into something you can't handle," Akihiko said. "Additionally, we're also going to appoint a field leader to make any necessary decisions."

No sooner than the words left his mouth, Junpei cocked his head and began to leap up and down. Akihiko shot him a quick glance before ignoring him and walking over to Minato.

"You're in charge," he said.

"Are you sure about that senpai?" Minato replied, trying to avoid Junpei's glare. "I mean, I don't see your reasoning."

Mitsuru stepped forward. "Your Persona has most likely stabilized from its first summoning. Also, you don't seem to have any difficulties with this." She pulled out her Evoker, placed it to her head and pulled the trigger.

There was a dazzling blue flash and Mitsuru's Persona materialized. It was a blue feminine humanoid, her face hidden behind an iron mask. She wielded a dagger in one hand and a rapier in the other.

Mitsuru turned to Yukari and Junpei. "You may think this is a game now but I can assure you that once you set foot in there, it will be anything but. Tartarus won't go easy on you. If you can't pull the trigger when it matters then you might as well hand in your Evoker, forget about all this and leave."

Junpei swallowed hard at Mitsuru's words. Yukari gazed at her feet, clutching her bow even harder now. And Minato smiled to himself.

_Damn, she's good. _

"Speaking of Evokers Mitsuru-senpai, are the ones we have now permanent?" Minato asked.

"They might be," she replied, holstering her Evoker. "The ones you three have now are just the default models. If you are comfortable with them, then they're yours. If not, then make sure to take note of any modifications you may need while you're in there."

Minato nodded in understanding. It was just like having a blade forged to your liking. Everyone had their own preferences.

"Now, are there anymore questions?" Mitsuru continued.

"If you two aren't coming with us, then what will you be doing?" Yukari asked.

"Due to the daily change in the structure of Tartarus, outside support is a must. I'll be using my Persona to feed you information from here. It will be up to you to figure out how to work best as a team."

Mitsuru could not have been more correct. Shortly after Minato, Yukari and Junpei had ascended the stairway and into the labyrinth, passing through the dim and twisted corridors with stains of blood on the tiled floor, they saw them.

Shadows.

And whether it was out of fear or pure excitement, Junpei immediately charged into the small group with a battle cry, swinging his katana like a baseball bat. With his wide strokes, it was difficult, nigh impossible, for Minato to close in without being in danger, and for Yukari to have a clear shot. Oh they did get to finish off any stragglers Junpei had injured but that was their only taste of battle. And what a sour taste it was.

"Heh, that was easier than I thought," Junpei said as the final Shadow went down.

"Don't get too cocky," Minato warned. "If we keep this up, one of us is going to get killed."

"Is that so, leader?" Junpei replied.

"_Yes,_"Mitsuru's voice said in their minds, causing all to jump in surprise. "_Don't fret. I'm just using my Persona's telepathy skills. You're not going insane. That being said, you must be more careful. One slip up can be the difference between life and death. Do you all understand me?"_

Once everyone agreed, Mitsuru gave them the lowdown. Advancing while keeping an eye on their flanks and rear. Always having their weapons and Evokers at the ready. And perhaps most importantly, ensuring that Minato and Junpei had some level of coordination in their attacking as well as enough room so that neither could harm the other.

As soon as Mitsuru finished speaking, Minato outlined a simple yet systematic strategy. Then, they set off again through the hallways and before long, encountered another group of bird-like Shadows. With their new-found knowledge and battle plans, Minato called out to Yukari, who nocked an arrow to her bow and let it loose. Her shot hit home and by the time the rest of the Shadows realized what was happening, she had downed two more.

The Shadows then cawed loudly and flew across the hallway to engage them, with some meeting their end as Junpei hacked away with his katana. The few that managed to evade his swings were cut down by a combination of Minato's saber and Yukari's arrows.

And so the process continued: stopping at junctions to examine the vicinity, calling out to Yukari if a Shadow was spotted so she could take it out with her bow, and engaging in melee combat (sometimes with the help of their Personas) when the Shadows got too close for comfort. Compared to their first skirmish, it was a much smoother way of getting the job done and many fights ended before things went out of hand.

"Well, I guess that's it for this floor," Minato said, pulling his saber out of a Shadow. They hadn't fought that many Shadows but Minato could feel the fatigue weighing down on his shoulders. Yukari and Junpei were looking tired too. "Should we go up the stairs?"

"_I think it will be best to call it a night for today_," Mitsuru answered. "_The effects of the Dark Hour will make you tire more easily and I'm sure you're exhausted. There's no point in pushing it too hard on the first try._"

"Roger that. Although, how are we supposed to get back to the lobby? Backtracking to find the staircase down is going to take a while, with the all the changing floors."

There was a pause. Then Mitsuru resumed speaking. "_Do you see any sort of green spherical shaped device that looks like the one in the lobby?_"

"Yes," Minato replied, eyeing a staircase down the next corridor with that same bizarre device he had seen in the lobby beside it. "It's right next to the stairs."

"_Good, that's your way out. Just close your hand around it until it starts glowing. You'll see an image of the lobby and be able to teleport back._"

Minato complied and signaled the others to follow him to the strange device. As soon as they reached the last junction that separated them from the stairs, he stopped and held up a hand for the others to stop as well.

"What is it?" Yukari asked, placing a hand on her quiver.

"I don't know," Minato replied. "But I think I saw something." He looked to his left, then to his right, and frowned. Something had definitely moved. He had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But whether it was just the work of the Dark Hour's distortions, or actually movement, he could not tell.

Until a high pitched cackle pierced his ear drums.

The sound bounced off the walls, echoing in a horrible cacophony. Minato gripped his saber tighter, and glancing at his surroundings for any signs of black goo, he took one step forward into the junction. Nothing happened. Nothing, except a crescendo in the laughter. _Is it near us? Or far away? It's so hard to tell with the Dark Hour screwing everything out of proportion. _He gestured for Yukari and Junpei to watch the flanks and took another step–

"WATCH OUT!"

Too late.

In the split second he registered Yukari's scream, a forceful blast of wind sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Specks of light danced around in his vision as he opened his eyes and Minato shook his head lightly to regain focus. Once he did, he looked down the corridor to see his attacker. A headless humanoid figure wielding dual fencing rapiers. It was larger than the regular Shadows they had been fighting all night, but smaller than the one that attacked the dorm. Hauling himself to his feet, Minato watched as it shrugged off Yukari's arrows and parried Junpei's swings with ease.

"Use your Personas!" Minato shouted at them, hoping his voice would distract the Shadow.

It didn't.

The moment Yukari and Junpei dropped their weapons and reached for their Evokers, the Shadow summoned another strong gust of wind, knocking both of them off their feet and into the nearby walls, dazed. It then made its way towards them, ready to deliver the killing blow when a ball of fire smashed into its side. Even with no head, the Shadow knew the source of the attack. It turned its attention on the remaining intruder, the one with the blue hair.

Upon catching the Shadow's attention, Minato holstered his Evoker and approached it. Surprisingly, the Shadow made no attempt to do anything hostile. It just waited. For him.

Minato smiled as he drew his saber. It had been far too long since he had a chance to spar like this. He felt the gloom and distortions of the hallways clear, as if the sun had somehow penetrated through the Dark Hour. He felt his vision crystallizing, to the point where high definition images seemed blurry. And he felt his hesitation flee when the blissful sweetness of momentum coursed through his veins and seeped into his muscles.

He knew this feeling all too well.

"Let's dance."

* * *

Akihiko cursed to himself as he ran through the corridors of the Tartarus. He knew it was a bad idea to let them wander around without some supervision and this just proved it all. So just why was Mitsuru so confident in them? Or more specifically, him? When they heard Junpei yell through Mitsuru's Persona, she did not seem to be overly concerned. There was no doubt that she had stiffened at hearing the news but she hadn't immediately decided to rush to their aid. He in fact had to persuade her into letting him find them.

Akihiko now questioned himself whether this was a good idea. The injuries he had suffered from when the dorm was attacked were not completely healed as of yet, and every step he took made his side throb in pain.

_This is nothing. I've suffered worse. _

As he passed another few junctions, he heard shouts emanating from further up ahead. As well as, oddly enough, the ringing of steel on steel. He stepped up the pace and rounded the corner, the clashes getting louder with each passing second. What he saw when he arrived made his jaw drop. And it was not the Shadow's appearance that did it.

It was Minato.

The blue haired boy was dancing in an elegant rhythm, his saber's movements a blur. With each clash of blades, he pushed the Shadow back, parrying its slashes and riposting its lunges.

The style reminded Akihiko of the way Mitsuru fought and he was surprised to find that their techniques would be so similar. Akihiko decided to keep his distance. It seemed that there was no need for any intervention. _Looks like Mitsuru was right. _

The Shadow then made a mistake. Thrusting too early with its right arm while its left was still recovering from slashing had created an opening. Sidestepping the thrust, Minato spun his saber in an uppercut and severed the Shadow's right arm, simultaneously connecting his left hand with his Evoker. Then he pulled the trigger.

Akihiko recognized Orpheus who materialized. But he did not recognize the other Persona alongside Orpheus. _Two Personas? But, that's impossible! _She (it looked to be a female as far as Akihiko could tell) circled around Orpheus a few times, wisps of vapor trailing from her white, one-piece dancing garb, before joining Orpheus in strumming the lyre. Fire and water combined in a voracious conflagration that consumed the Shadow whole, a large explosion of wet embers and goo erupting forth. When the steamed cleared, Akihiko saw Minato standing victorious.

Minato turned around, not appearing to notice he was covered in Shadow muck and a few burn marks. He helped Junpei and Yukari to their feet and approached Akihiko.

"You three alright?" Akihiko asked.

"We're good," Junpei replied, leaning on his katana slightly. He turned to Minato. "But dude, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I think the more important question is, how he summoned more than one Persona," Yukari said, retrieving an arrow that was still in shape.

All eyes turned to Minato, who was still breathing heavily. Fighting like that would exhaust anyone but summoning dual Personas on top of that? Akihiko was surprised he was still standing.

"I had learned the basics of the sword when I was younger," Minato replied, holstering his Evoker and wiping some muck off his uniform. "I can't remember who taught me but I do remember most of the things he or she did teach me. That, and I honed my skills in the fencing club I joined back in junior high."

"Seriously?" Junpei asked. When Minato shrugged and gave him a slight smile, Junpei narrowed his eyes. "You're not kidding are you?"

"No, I'm not. And as for my Personas, I have no clue where the other one came from. It just happened."

Akihiko eyed Minato. _He has to have some idea. Unless he just let them do their own thing._ "We'll look into how you did that later. Right now, we should head back."

Everyone nodded at his instruction and he lead them towards the teleportation device.

"You know Arisato, you fight remarkably like Mitsuru," Akihiko said as they walked.

"Really?" Minato replied.

"Yeah. If you ever need to get some training in or freshen up on some techniques, she's someone you can talk to."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They continued in silence, all exhausted from the fighting. Once they reached the device, Akihiko closed his fist around it and a green glow enveloped them. A tingling sensation rippled through each of them as they teleported and in seconds, they were back in the lobby.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted, approaching them. "So, how was it?"

"No problem," Minato answered, stifling a yawn. He looked back at Yukari and Junpei and they both nodded in agreement.

"I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could've achieved."

"By the way, I'd like to request that my Evoker be modified to suit a left hand. It's too much of a hassle to switch between my Evoker and saber. If I have a free hand, it'll ensure that I'm never off guard and I'll be able to fight more efficiently."

Mitsuru smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to figure out your preferences so soon but sure. We'll make sure the adjustments are made." She turned to the others. "Do you two have any requests?"

Yukari and Junpei shook their heads.

"Very well," Mitsuru said. "Let's return to the dorm now. The Dark hour is about to end and it'll be easier if we're outside when this place changes back."

The juniors did not need encouragement and were already exiting Tartarus and approaching Gekkoukan's front gate. Before Mitsuru exited, Akihiko tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to face him.

"Looks like you were right about him," he said.

"It sure seems that way," Mitsuru replied, folding her arms. "You should have listened to me when I said they'd be fine."

Akihiko caught a slight smirk on her face. "Wait, you knew about his skills with the saber didn't you?"

She gave him a proud look before turning on her heel. "Of course. He doesn't remember it but, I was the one who trained him."


	9. Impressions

A/N: I'm glad everyone has taken well to my little twist. All will be explained in due time so for now, I hope this chapter provides some insight.

* * *

The sun's radiant rays beamed through the windows, casting a cheery brightness throughout the dorm's foyer. Although the weather was as close to perfection as a spring day could be, Mitsuru decided to spend the remainder of the Sunday morning indoors. There was much to be done in regards to the requested modifications of Minato's Evoker and that was not even including all her other duties; tending to the matters of the student council, going through her recent package of college texts and having to edit the latest reports from the Kirijo Group...

It was beginning to pile up. The fact that Akihiko was curious at her past relations with Minato did not help alleviate the situation. Moreover, it made the stack of things to do rise that much higher. Sipping her cup of tea, she watched as Akihiko tossed her brief but detailed history lesson around in his mind.

"Ten years... I'm surprised you never told me about it before," Akihiko said after a few minutes. He was seated across from her on the crimson sofa and had spoken without looking up.

"I've never told anyone this," Mitsuru replied, setting her cup on the coffee table and reaching for her pile of textbooks. She gazed at Akihiko. He seemed to be up to something. "Why does this matter to you anyway?"

"Because I think you should get to know him again," he said, looking up and holding her gaze. "The fact that you two were close makes it easier to get a better idea on what we have on our hands."

Mitsuru pursed her lips and closed her textbook. "Is that an order you're giving me Akihiko?"

A look of shock surged through Akihiko's face and he broke eye contact, realising he went too far. Mitsuru smirked. It was not the first time Akihiko had attempted something like this but she had to admit, he had a point. The more they knew about Minato and his ability, the more well equipped they would be when facing Shadows with a strength similar to that of the one who attacked the dorm.

But could she do it? Unintentionally, her mind brought back memories of the day she saw his accident on that bridge. Of the day he changed. Of the day he no longer remembered anything. It had broken her heart to see the one friend, who could look past her nobility and accept her for who she was, become a shadow of himself.

Mitsuru had promised herself she wouldn't get _that_ close to anyone ever again but now, she questioned that promise. Minato had only been on one outing to Tartarus but had demonstrated a remarkable display of competence in fighting Shadows. If it weren't for him and his leadership, Yukari and Junpei would likely be dead by now.

However, experiencing the pain of losing him was not something she wanted to endure again. Once was more than enough. As she contemplated the idea of 'getting to know him better', trying to ignore the arguing voices of her subconscious, she looked back at Akihiko. _I wonder..._

"My history with him isn't going to make much of a difference in getting to know him," Mitsuru said. "Especially since he doesn't remember his past."

"I was only suggesting," Akihiko replied, turning to face her once more.

"I'm sure you were. So, what do you think of him?"

Akihiko shrugged. "Well, aside from the fact that he possesses more than one Persona, he's proven to be no stranger to combat. I mean, the way he brought down that Shadow... It's not something I would have expected." He chuckled as a thought struck him. "Maybe I should bring him along to the ring. See how he fares."

"He's not a punching bag Akihiko," Mitsuru replied with a sigh. "Being skilled with the sword does not mean he'll be skilled in boxing."

"Yeah but the two share similar principles. Boxing may improve his footwork which, if I remember correctly, is fundamental in swordsmanship. Or any other form of fighting for that matter."

Mitsuru turned back to her books, not wanting to spur Akihiko on with more talk of fighting. She knew his drive for it bordered on the extremely competitive end of the spectrum and anyone who decided to face him in the ring would not be taken lightly.

Although, she couldn't help but speculate at what might happen if Minato did step into the ring. It was possible that he knew nothing about unarmed fighting (Mitsuru had, in the past, never encouraged him to fight with his fists as it was too barbaric and graceless), but then, it was also possible that they were underestimating his capabilities and that he really knew a thing or two. After not seeing him for a decade, Mitsuru had no idea what he was capable of. But for some reason, the more she thought about it, the more she could picture the mental image of Minato standing over a knocked out Akihiko, whose face was contorted with disbelief. She didn't know how that image came to be or why she found it rather attractive but it was so amusing that she couldn't help but grin.

"What are you grinning at?" Akihiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh nothing," Mitsuru replied, still smiling. "You did however bring up a good point about possibly taking Arisato to train with you. As you said, it will allow us to understand what we have on our hands."

She continued to smile as she watched Akihiko fight back a grimace. He was obviously irritated that his little plan had backfired.

"I'll...think about it," Akihiko said, giving her that hard look of his she had seen many times over the years. She could tell he was mulling over the idea and if that idea had something to do with training or fighting, Mitsuru knew he wouldn't rule it out. "But, you could also benefit from training with him. I know you trained with him before but you should know that his style is very similar to yours. Almost identical."

"Is that so?" Mitsuru asked, leaning forward. It wasn't a surprise to hear that his style paralleled hers. She and Minato had been sparring partners when they were younger, and trained together quite extensively. But to hear that his style was almost identical? Her interest was piqued.

Akihiko nodded. "If you sparred with him, it'd be like facing yourself. You'll be able to see where your weaknesses lie, as well as your strengths. Besides, when was the last time you've had a serious fencing partner?"

Mitsuru bit her lip. He wasn't wrong. With all her other commitments, she hadn't the time to attend the fencing club as of late. Starting up training with Minato would definitely bring her back into the swing of combat. And give a chance to reacquaint herself with him. Fighting, after all, was just another language. What could be said translated into a flurry of actions that spoke and meant ten thousand times more. Mitsuru knew there was a sense of appeal in the idea but she also knew that there had to be other ways of getting to know him better. Ways that did not include scarring his pride.

Before she could reply, she heard footsteps. She directed her gaze from Akihiko to see Minato, who was dressed in a casual combination of a white-blue t-shirt and jeans with his clip-on headphones hanging around his neck. He walked over to the arrangement of sofas and bowed.

"Akihiko-senpai, Mitsuru-senpai," he greeted.

Akihiko inclined his head in return and Mitsuru placed her textbook down on the table and stood up.

"Done your study for today?" she asked.

"More or less," he replied, nodding. "There's only so much study one can do before you start yelling at how you didn't notice something earlier. I think I'll go for a walk. Need some fresh air."

From the corner of her eye, Mitsuru caught Akihiko light up instantly and tried not to smile. _Some things never change. _

"A walk eh?" Akihiko said with a wide grin. "How about we go for a jog? I've been meaning to find a jogging partner and if you need some exercise, it'll help you stay in shape for training in Tartarus."

"That...sounds good," Minato responded. He was taken aback at Akihiko's sudden enthusiasm.

"Alright then, let's go," Akihiko said, leading Minato to the front door. "We'll see you later Mitsuru."

"Make sure you don't tire yourselves out," Mitsuru said, folding her arms. "We can't explore Tartarus if both of you are out of action. Especially you Akihiko. You still need to recover."

"There's no need to worry," Akihiko said, waving off her concerns before winking at Minato. Before leaving, he looked back at Mitsuru. "By the way, think on it will you?"

Knowing exactly what he meant, Mitsuru nodded in understanding, being left in silence as the door closed behind them. She sat back down and picked up her books, crossing her legs. _Boys will be boys_. Once an idea popped into Akihiko's head, especially one that was physically oriented, there was no stopping him. He would see that idea through no matter what.

At the very least, sparring with Minato was no longer something she had to worry about. Maybe in the future, but certainly not now. Building a relationship through physical activities wasn't something she was comfortable with at the moment and if it came to it, she felt that it would lead to more of a rivalry than a lasting friendship. Perhaps even worse, depending on his ego. No, there was a better way to get to know the _new_ him. There had to be a way.

Hearing the sudden chime of her cell phone, Mitsuru leaned forward to inspect the message. As she read it, an idea began to form in her mind.

Now that was convenient.


	10. Request

A/N: Thanks to all who've reviewed so far. I would like to let everyone know that I won't be updating for several weeks as I will be going on vacation. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning the fic because I'm having way too much fun with this to stop now, but it does mean I will be on a temporary hiatus. So in light of this, here is my lengthiest chapter as of yet. Hope you guys enjoy it and when I return, we will be getting into the fight with the Priestess Shadow. So stay tuned!

* * *

Minato watched as the seconds hand of the clock at the front of the classroom slowly ticked and completed a full circle. He watched it go around for a second time.

Then a third.

And a fourth.

By the fifth time, he was wondering why he was focusing all his attention on watching time pass. One glance at his teacher made him remember the reason. Placing his head down on his notebook, he decided that taking a short nap would not be such a bad idea. It was not the subject that drove him into the realms of boredom. Instead, it was the way in which the subject had gone completely off topic. Compared to the teachers at his previous school, the ones at Gekkoukan were a very...interesting bunch of people. And that was putting it lightly.

There were the normal teachers, the kind that were paid to stand in front of a class and lecture on whatever the curriculum called for. Minato did not mind that kind. What he did mind was the eccentricity that some staff brought to the table, notably being a trifle too enthusiastic about what they taught. So much so that one donned ancient samurai helmets on himself, claiming that it would heighten students' interest, while another rambled on about the occult and magic whenever he got the opportunity.

The teacher that was currently lecturing them was one of the latter kind. There was no doubt that Miyahara-sensei knew what she was talking about but, her infatuation of seeing the artistic beauty in numbers and equations often enticed her to proclaim her love for it out loud. It was one thing to be able to stimulate a student's interest in a field of study but this? This was borderline ridiculous.

It did not help that his Personas were calling out to him. He could feel them raging under his skin like a violent storm. Minato had no idea where the others had come from but they were there with Orpheus, waiting for a fight and a pull of the trigger. They wanted to emerge. To breath. To taste Shadow blood.

But there was nothing in their cries that could help explain the questions he wanted answered. Why did everything happen the way it did since he returned to Iwatodai? Why was it familiar to see that Shadow on the dorm's rooftop? Why did he have more than one Persona? It was even more frustrating than the challenge question Miyahara-sensei had set for them on the blackboard and the continuous echo of whispers that told him they wanted to play just wouldn't shut up.

_This is not the time now damn it!_

"Whoa dude, what do you mean it ain't time for lunch?"

Sitting upright, Minato opened his eyes to see Junpei and Yukari standing next to him with strange looks on their faces. He glanced around to make sure that he was really awake and met the suspicious eyes of his other classmates.

"What I meant to say was, I'm not hungry," Minato said, smiling sheepishly. "Those protein drinks in the fridge are really something."

"Sure they are," Yukari replied, narrowing her eyes. "You alright? Maybe you should head to the nurse's office if you're not feeling well. I mean, considering what happened the other day..."

She of course was referring to their most recent trip to Tartarus. They made it a routine to visit the tower every second or third night (only when Mitsuru was around, she wouldn't let them go if she wasn't) and the day before yesterday marked their third consecutive visit. Minato would have gone a fourth time, much to Akihiko's delight, but his proposal was rebutted by Junpei and Yukari; the former arguing that all that training wasn't worth the loss of a good night's sleep, and the latter reminding him that they were still students and needed to keep up with their studies. Maybe it was a good thing he had agreed with them as if he was already this groggy, a fourth visit would have probably sent him right back to hospital.

With those nurses.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You two go on without me. I don't think my nap during class was enough," Minato replied, gesturing for them to leave.

The moment the words left his mouth was the moment the door at the front of the classroom slid open. Normally, no one would have paid any heed since it was lunchbreak and there was a high amount of traffic, with students moving in and out of the room. But this time, it was different. Because when Mitsuru stepped into the classroom, a sense of authority swept across the room like a tidal wave. Students who were telling inappropriate jokes and the latest gossip cut off in mid sentence, students who were pretending to study immediately buried their heads in their textbooks, and students who admired the Kirijo heiress just stared. Yukari and Junpei were equally as stupefied at how the room went from chaos to order and both shot an anxious glance at Minato.

_She's probably just doing her rounds as Student Council President._

Minato leaned back in his chair, unaware of the looks his friends were giving him, and let his eyes follow her as she looked and walked around. For some reason he knew not the answer to, the room seemed to have brightened upon her entrance. Perhaps it was the way she moved with the grace of a fashion model, her hips swaying from side to side in a motion that was not too subtle and not too exaggerated. Or the way her heeled boots clicked and clacked, and clacked and clicked, on the tiled floor as she walked. He could only imagine what it would be like to witness such elegance on the battlefield and was so lost in his thoughts that it took a moment for him to realize that she had stopped by his desk.

The world around him froze and the room plunged into a silence so deep that Minato swore he could hear the ticking of the clock's seconds hand. And that was far away, above the blackboard that was about five or six desks down from where he was sitting.

He blinked and lifted his gaze to meet hers, trying to remain calm amid all the stares he had garnered, Junpei and Yukari's included. He had been a fool thinking he could avoid something like this. It did not matter how stealthy he was, fate would always find him and throw him a curveball like it always had. The way she looked at him with welcoming eyes and a warm smile was not very consoling either. Instead of making him blush and his heart thump like mad, it only served to amplify his annoyance. At the murmuring of his Personas and at the fact that everyone in the room envied him even more.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Kirijo-senpai?" Minato asked, standing up. As uncomfortable as he was with using such formality, he knew he had no other choice. Using her first name would be suicidal.

"Arisato, I'm sorry to bother you at this time but I need to speak with you after school, " she said, ignoring his formality. And the stares. "I have a special request for you."

"What kind of request?"

"It's something of mutual interest and I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I'll tell you more after school, okay?"

"Sure," he replied, though he couldn't help but think about what she meant by those words. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"_Tres bien_. I'll come get you when I'm ready."

And she turned on her heel, the crowd of students who had gathered around them ensuring to make a path for her, and left the room. Seconds after her exit, the boys in the crowd reverted their attention to Minato and shot him a glare that made him feel as if his skin was being pierced like a laser cutting through steel.

"What was that all about?" Yukari asked, turning to face Minato with a look that mirrored the other students'.

"I dunno," Junpei answered. "Tray Ben? What is that, French?" He sighed. "Lousy seniors and their lousy French."

"That's not what I meant."

Their voices were blocked out by the surge of curiosity that established itself in his mind. Something she was only comfortable with him doing? Minato knew Mitsuru probably meant well but from the way his classmates stared at him even during the remainder of his classes, he had the feeling that they all thought otherwise. He supposed it was natural for them to get the wrong idea and his suspicions were correct because when the final lesson of the day was over, a couple of them decided to approach his desk. But before the war of words began, Junpei stood up from his seat and waved them off.

"Hey now, we don't need to start a fight," he said. "I'm sure it's nothing, probably just senpai askin' him to check out somethin' she doesn't have time for."

"Oh you think so huh?" a student with glasses replied. "But what if isn't? What if–"

"Seriously dude, you gotta chill."

The student backed down from Junpei but then gave Minato a pressing look. "Fine. But I'm keeping an eye on _you_."

"If you feel the need to then by all means," Minato said, keeping his poker face.

As the student stormed out of the room with his posse of friends, there was a ring of a cell phone. Minato reached for his and flipped it open to see a message. From Mitsuru.

_I will be late_, the message said. _If you don't mind, could you please head into the room opposite Class 2-E and wait for me there?_

Minato glanced around and ensuring that no onlookers could see who the message was from (he was sure that they would kill him for her number), he replied he would. He then stood up, told Junpei and Yukari that there was a change of plans, and was about to leave for the designated room when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Junpei.

"Just a word of advice," he said in a low voice, "be careful. I'm sure you know by now but our Mitsuru-senpai has a lot of admirers." He paused for a moment, glancing over Minato's shoulder at another group of students who were giving them long stares.

Minato turned to look at them too, figuring that the mere mention of her name was the catalyst, and shot a glare back. The group of students were taken aback at the intensity of his stare and turning their backs to him, they resumed their conversation.

Junpei cleared his throat and continued in that same quiet voice. "Anyway, the fact that she asked you of all people to do something for her is gonna make a lotta people pretty mad. Now, I've only been here for a year but I've seen how ugly it can get. You don't want to be caught up in that mess. So if I were you, I'd do whatever she wants you to do and be done with it. You get what I'm saying?"

"I got it," Minato promised. "Thanks for the advice."

He then exited the room and made his way down the hallway, fully aware that he was being watched by his classmates as well as several other students in the vicinity who had caught wind of what had transpired during lunchbreak. Upon reaching the door to the room opposite Class 2-E, Minato slid it open and entered. Inside was another classroom, the desks arranged into a long table that resembled those in a corporate meeting room. Two students were already seated and they looked up at his arrival.

The girl who was furthest away from where he was standing had a pale complexion, long dark hair, and wore a pair of black rimmed glasses. The boy who was directly opposite her had swept back grayish hair and a face that looked as if he was scowling at something. As he stood up and approached, Minato noticed that he was wearing a yellow armband with an inscription on his left arm. That said Student Council.

_She wants me to do something for the Student Council? Why?_

"You're not allowed in here you know," the boy said. "Student Council members only."

"Oh well I did not know that," Minato said with a shrug. "Mitsuru-senpai told me to wait for her here so that's what I'm doing."

"She said that did she? How do I know you're not lying?"

Minato opened his mouth but the girl spoke first.

"Um, Odagiri-senpai," she said, "I think that's–"

"Please don't interrupt me when I'm the middle of interrogating Chihiro!" the boy called Odagiri snapped. "As I was saying, how do I– Kirijo-san?"

Minato turned to his left and found himself looking into a pair of beautiful red eyes. He felt his cheeks rise in temperature and immediately directed his gaze at the blackboard in the room. The night of his arrival, in the dim lighting of the dorm's foyer, he hadn't been able to see those eyes with such clarity. _I didn't know how lucky I was._

"It's okay Odagiri," Mitsuru said, closing the door, "I told him to meet me here."

Hidetoshi's expression softened, or what looked anything like it since his scowl was still there, and he went back to his seat, muttering an apology. Minato sighed and espied Mitsuru flashing him a small smile as she made her way to the head of the table. _Next thing I know, she's going to make me join the Student Council. _

"I apologize for making you all wait," Mitsuru said, folding her arms. "I got caught up speaking to the Principal regarding the courtyard that may be demolished. But enough about that, let's get down to business." She let her eyes rest on Minato. "Arisato, the reason I have brought you here is because I would like you to join the Student Council."

Minato blinked and let her words sink in. Did he hear her correctly? He averted his eyes from her gaze and let them wander, trying to process her proposal. Even though the idea had occurred to him, he had to admit it was still unexpected, and definitely not his first choice for an extracurricular activity. If his short amount of time at Gekkoukan had proven anything, it was that he was more well hated than well liked by his classmates. And by nearly every other student in the school for that matter. But when he looked back at Mitsuru and realized she was serious, his heart sank and pounded like a hammer at the same time.

"It's an honor Mitsuru-senpai but why?" Minato asked.

"Being President is very time consuming and I find myself in the need of an assistant," Mitsuru replied. "Someone who is able to lend a hand in the event of an emergency, and keep me updated with Council affairs as well as my other concerns. Of course, if you feel that it's not something you're comfortable with, then you're most welcome not to join."

Minato noticed her wink and upon realizing what those 'other concerns' were, he tried not to smile.

Him.

On the Student Council Executive.

As Mitsuru-senpai's personal assistant.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Junpei shouting at him to decline the offer right now. _You don't want to be caught up in that mess_ he had said, and _do whatever she wants you to do and be done with it._ But now that Minato knew the details of Mitsuru's request, he knew he just could not be 'done with it'. Oh no. If he accepted, he was in it for the long haul.

"You must be pretty talented if the President hand-picked you," Hidetoshi remarked as he eyed Minato. "It's rare for her to do that."

"You shouldn't worry about that Odagiri," Mitsuru said in an attempt to quell his doubts. It didn't quell his scowl though. "Arisato knows what it's like to be a leader and is proficient at adapting to different situations." She turned her attention back to Minato. "If you decide to take my offer, you will be working with me, and alongside those in the Student Council Executive Committee, which includes my colleagues here. I'll let them speak for themselves."

The girl with glasses stood up and bowed. "I'm Fushimi Chihiro, the Treasurer. I'm a sophomore, and um, I'm still learning the ropes so...please be patient with me Minato-senpai." Her face turned bright pink as she finished speaking and she sat back down, her eyes fixated on the papers in front of her.

Minato bowed and turned to Hidetoshi.

"You probably know by now but I'm Odagiri Hidetoshi," he said. "I supervise the Disciplinary Committee. There's a couple more of us you'll need to be acquainted with if you do join but unfortunately, they had other commitments to make today."

"In any case," Mitsuru said, "you now know where to find us so I'll give you some time to think it over." She then took her eyes off Minato and was about to say something when he spoke.

"There's no need," Minato said, causing Chihiro and Hidetoshi's eyes to widen. "Because I'll take the position. Is there any paperwork I need to sign?"

Mitsuru smiled and gestured for Hidetoshi to grab the necessary documents.

The blue haired boy knew of the consequences. He knew of the issues that his decision would eventually bring about. But he did not care. He was already helping her fight the Shadows, and if that was already dangerous, then adding a little more danger would only make life more interesting. And yes, maybe he was walking into a death trap and maybe it would blow up in his face one day. But it didn't matter.

Because when such opportunities came, you took them.

* * *

The amount of paperwork was surprising to say the least. Just a few signatures here and there and it was done. He was officially her assistant. The meeting was over a few minutes later but before he could freely head off, there were still matters that needed to be settled. Matters that related to S.E.E.S. Closing the door to the council headquarters behind him, he followed Mitsuru through the now empty hallways, out the school doors, and down the entrance pathway to the front gate. He was about to ask her where they were going when a sleek black limousine pulled up by the curb. It appeared to be the same one that she had used to bail him out of hospital a week earlier.

He entered the limousine after seeing Mitsuru gesture, the smell of polished leather filling the air. The scent changed as Mitsuru took a seat opposite him and his nose tickled in adjusting to her familiar but subtle scent of spice and luxurious florals.

"So, we're not going back to that hospital again are we?" he asked a few minutes after the limousine had started moving.

Mitsuru chuckled. "No, we're not. As I won't be in the dorm tonight, I thought that this would be the best way to discuss matters regarding _work_ that concerns you." She reached underneath her seat, brought out a familiar silver briefcase, and passed it to him. "Here, this is yours. Tailored specifically to your request."

Minato took out his Evoker, now a glossy charcoal grey instead of the default alabaster silver, and raised it to his temple to test the modifications. As he had requested, it was lighter, with the left-handed grip fitting perfectly in the groove of his palm.

"This is perfect," he said, lowering the Evoker. "Thank you."

"You're most welcome," Mitsuru replied. "Make sure you take care of it."

Minato nodded trying his best not to think about how well those slight dimples suited her understanding smile. It was difficult, and her scent did nothing except pull him deeper into holding her gaze. He tried to say something, anything to break the spell, but he knew that there was nothing more that needed to be said on the matter. The gateway to his inner psyche was precious and its importance was something that needed no words. Summoning what willpower he had, Minato averted his eyes from hers and placed his Evoker back in the briefcase. When he did, the hushed echoes of his Personas began once again. It was louder than before and this time, he could hear their voices rolling around in his mind like thrown dice.

_Moon. Shadow. Twelve. Fall. Death._

The words went on in an endless loop, sometimes in the same order, sometimes in a different order. But for some reason, 'Death' always came last. He shut his eyes in an effort to make it stop but only found himself being plunged further into the void, where the cacophony of chanting voices continued to crescendo.

Then he heard another voice. One that was not loud enough to drown out that of his Personas, but different enough for him to distinguish between the two.

"Arisato! Are you alright?"

Minato awoke from the void and once again found himself staring into Mitsuru's eyes. Seeing them even closer than before was an agonizing joy and when she pulled back and let go of his shoulder, a concerned look on her face, the part of him that yearned to be lost in her beauty only intensified.

"I...I...What happened?" he asked, placing a hand to his temple and wincing when he moved his head. Was it his Personas that were causing the headache?

"Don't scare me like that," Mitsuru said with a sigh. When Minato raised an eyebrow, she continued, "You started mumbling to yourself ever since you put your Evoker down, saying something about the moon and death. You don't remember?"

Minato thought hard. He remembered the voices. But he didn't remember mumbling. "I'm not sure if this is the right time to speak of this but..." He trailed off, unsure of whether to continue, but Mitsuru gestured for him to keep going. "Well, there's something unusual about my Personas." He then proceeded to describe everything he could. How his Personas churned under his skin. How they whispered to him. Even the five words that they repeatedly said. He tried to be as detailed as possible and when he was done, Mitsuru looked even paler than before.

"To be frank, I don't know what to tell you," she said after some time. "Hearing the thoughts and voices of your Persona isn't strange and if it has become more apparent than usual, it usually means that a summoning is overdue. But in your case, it's possible that it has something to do with having more than one. Is this the first time it has happened?"

"If you mean to this extent, then I think so," Minato said, nodding. "I knew the others were there since the first time we came back from Tartarus but, I don't remember them being this restless."

"I see. Do you have them under control?"

The stern look she gave made him hesitate. He knew this was serious but Mitsuru seemed to be afraid of something, her tone reminding him of what Akihiko had mentioned on the night he and Junpei joined S.E.E.S.

"For now, yes," he assured her, feeling the limousine stop moving. Minato glanced out the window to his left and realized that they were in front of the dorm.

"If time allows, I'll have a look into it with Akihiko and the Chairman," she said as they exited the limousine and walked up the pathway to the dorm together. "I have a hunch that what they feel is linked to how you feel so in the meantime, try not to do anything that will agitate you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes I do Mitsuru-senpai," he replied.

"Good. It's probably best that we don't speak of this to Takeba or Iori just in case. If you have any concerns, only let either myself or Akihiko know. It has taken us quite a while to build up a team this large and the last thing I want is a schism, or you being unable to perform your duties as field leader."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Mitsuru nodded and turned to return to the limousine. "Well then, I'll be taking my leave. See you tomorrow."

Later that evening, Minato returned to his room and set down the briefcase on his bed, opening it once more to reveal the Evoker inside. _The gateway to them_. It was a strange way of describing something that resembled a handgun. Wondering if there was some correlation between their calls and how close he was to an invocation, he placed the glossy black barrel against his temple and curled his finger around the trigger.

The Dark Hour struck.

He squeezed.

And nothing happened.

No bright blue flashes of light, no shattering of the mind. Just the ongoing swirl of voices that resonated in the back of his mind, which, to his surprise, did not rise in volume. That was odd. If the Evoker was supposed to be a gateway, then why was it not opening? All the variables were there. His Personas were restless and he wanted them to come out. So what was blocking the road?

"Hi, how've you been?"

That voice. He knew that voice. Pivoting, he saw the little boy in those same pajamas sitting on his study chair.

"You again? How did you get in?" Minato asked, Evoker in hand.

"What kind of welcome is that?" the boy replied with a pout. "Besides, I'm always with you. Anyway, I have come to tell you that three days from now, there will be a full moon. A new ordeal will be waiting for you."

"What kind of ordeal?"

"You will encounter one of THEM," he said, teleporting to the base of the door. "I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now."

He was gone in the blink of an eye. Whether he had used the same disappearing trick as before or actually the door this time, Minato hadn't the slightest clue.

_A new ordeal, a full moon...Moon...Moon?_

_Moon. Shadow. Twelve. Fall. Death. _

_MOON. FULL MOON._

Minato loosened his grip on his Evoker and heard it thump on the wooden floor. His Personas were not chanting nonsense like he had thought. They were chanting the answers.


End file.
